


Falling straight into the No Fall Zone

by Frappexo



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: And ex-members too, At least I hope it's not, Attempt at Humor, But it's not horrible or unhealthy, Could this be slowburn as well?, Eventual use of alcohol, Like seriously tons of them, M/M, Members who're not tagged are still mentioned in some way, Nah they do hate each other, Or do they?, Please take that in mind, Romance, Sehun is a professional snowboarder, They fight and bicker a lot, Use of tons of swear words and insults, Winter hitchhiking, Yixing is his biggest rival slash enemy, idk - Freeform, they hate each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:55:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 71,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25143499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frappexo/pseuds/Frappexo
Summary: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the FIS Snowboard Asian Championship 2019. We regret to announce that competitor Oh Sehun, second best snowboarder in the continent, was found stuck at Fukuoka Airport due to the inclement weather. But don’t you worry! He still has a few days to find his way to Niseko and snatch that first place from ridiculously annoying competitor Zhang Yixing.He might have to deal with snowstorms, flat tires, the worst language barrier ever, a chatty paparazzi, rooms with only one bed, one too many drunk confessions, and overall, the stress of hitchhiking. But to his delight, he won’t have to do it alone. Like some sort of divine joke, he’s got his biggest rival, ridiculously annoying competitor Zhang Yixing himself, stuck with him. So what could possibly go wrong?
Relationships: Oh Sehun/Zhang Yi Xing | Lay
Comments: 75
Kudos: 85





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Written for EXO Seasonal Fest Round 3 Adoptions**
> 
> **Prompt Flake #161**
> 
> Rival snowboarders Character A and Character B both fly in for the same competition on the same plane. Their flight gets redirected and they are unable to book another one that will get them to the competition in time. So, they make a mutual agreement to hitchhike together to try and get there in time—after all, it's much safer to travel with a partner!

**no-fall zone**

| noun ; snowboarding term |

_Section of a run where falling could carry grave consequences, such as the steep entry to a chute where the skier or snowboarder could keep tumbling._

**December 10th, 2019**

_4 days before the competition_

Changing the position of his legs, Sehun took a deep breath. The distance between his seat and the one in front of him was minimal; less than half a meter, he was sure. He glanced at the screen on his phone and sighed. They had been in the air for a little more than thirty minutes and there was still a long way to go. It was a three-hour flight from Seoul to Sapporo and he was flying on economy class. He was living a torture.

Being a snowboarder had its perks. The economic reward of it was… well. Amazing. And being— _without boasting_ —one of the best out there made it even better. Sponsorships and endorsements were an extra. So yeah, he had his fair amount of zeros on his bank account. He wouldn’t say, though, that luxuries were part of his life, because they weren't. Not really. He lived the life of someone who could enjoy the fruits of his own hard work and that was about it.

This included having a first-class seat every time he got on a plane, of course. That was, as weird as it sounded, the reason why he was sitting in the most uncomfortable seat he had ever put his butt on.

Chanyeol, his trainer-slash-best-friend, had insisted on it. Saying something like, _”Not having a first-class seat will let you focus on important competition matters instead on your wealthy-life amenities.”_ So there Sehun was, not having a first-class seat so he could focus on important competition matters instead on his wealthy-life amenities.

He moved a little bit, trying to find a better position. One of his legs had gone numb and his back had begun to hurt. He bumped with the old lady who was sitting next to him and she narrowed her eyes at him.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, bowing his head a little.

The lady didn't reply. She scowled and then looked away, furiously knitting what seemed to be a sweater.

Sehun frowned. He wanted to tell her that she was rude and her sweater was ugly. But he stopped before the words could even leave his mouth. He could already see the derogatory headlines on the front page of the tabloids. _'Snowboarder Oh Sehun attacks an old lady on a plane. Bratty attitude as a rebellion for having to mix among the_ hoi polloi _?'_ So he didn’t say anything. That would only cause him problems.

Luckily, Chanyeol had got him the seat next to the window. He looked out, trying not to cringe at the lady's horrid selection of wool color. The ocean was under them, as blue and perfect as always. Some clouds were around them, too, fluffy and white. They reminded him of snow—which lead him to think about winter. And the weather. And the mountains. And his snowboard. And the competition. And the trophy. And… _pfft._

The FIS Snowboard Asian Championship was four days away and he felt like the date couldn’t arrive sooner. This year, the Niseko Mountain Resort, in Japan, would be its location. Sehun was more excited about it than he would ever admit. Everyone among the snowboarding world knew Japan for having some of the best snowboarding places. He could already imagine himself shredding down the slopes. Feeling the fluffiest snow in the whole world under his snowboard. His skin was itchy to get there already. He couldn't wait.

Looking at his phone again, he realized that only one minute had passed. Time had never moved so slow for him before. He hit the headrest with the back of his head, in an attempt to check if it was suitable to take a nap. It led him to disappointment. It was hard and he hadn’t brought a travel pillow. Nor his earphones. What a tragedy. He breathed in and kept the air in his lungs for a few seconds. He released it and cursed Chanyeol.

He was singing, _”Fuck you, Park”,_ in his head, when the pilot’s voice flooded throughout the plane, startling him.

_“Dear passengers, I request your attention for a moment, please.”_

Something inside Sehun’s stomach churned. For some reason he found himself holding his breath again.

_“A heavy snowstorm started over half an hour ago in Hokkaido region. Due to this unexpected event, I regret to inform you we will have to divert our flight. We are currently heading to Fukuoka Airport, so please stay on your seats. We are expecting to arrive in less than an hour. Once landing, the airline personnel will inform you about the protocol to follow. Thanks for your understanding. Enjoy your flight.”_

There was a moment of silence.

Then the uproar broke out.

Overwhelm was evident in the flight attendants' faces. They wanted to pay everyone attention, but they were failing horribly at it. They, for sure, didn’t even know what was happening. Sehun would’ve pitied them, weren’t he as desperate as everyone else.

There was no way this was happening. What the hell was he going to do in Fukuoka? For how long was he going to stay? It wasn’t like he was on a rush. He still have a few days to arrive on time, but he didn’t want to stay there alone. He _couldn’t_ stay there alone. He would never survive. His Japanese skills were limited, to say the least, and Chanyeol wasn’t there to translate. He had booked him a flight in a Korean airline for a reason.

_“If the plane is facing an imminent crash or something, then at least you'll be able to understand what they're saying,”_ had Chanyeol said. Sehun had punched him on the arm. Hard. Though Chanyeol had had a point and he had thanked him in his mind for it.

He now felt his stomach churning again. He didn't like this change of plans. Not wanting to get sick, he tuned out the chaos around him and closed his eyes for a while. When he opened them again, the churning had barely disappeared.

Someone speaking in the distance attracted his attention.

“…recommend you to stay near the departure lounge.”

He blinked, focusing on the person who stood in the middle of the aisle. It was an attendant, and she was giving some announcements.

“Most of the airports in Hokkaido region are closed, including Sapporo-Okadama. There’s still no information about when they will resume operations,” the attendant said. “So the airline is offering you two options. To either rebook your flight or refund. This second option would be the difference between the price of a Seoul-Sapporo flight, and a Seoul-Fukuoka flight.”

Some of the passengers began to speak and the attendant raised her hand, asking for silence.

“We know this is a great inconvenience for you. But we are hoping the weather will improve soon so there are no more delays on your journey. We remain at your disposal for any further questions.” With that, she went back to wherever she had come from.

Everyone around him was speaking at the same time. Sehun tried to grasp a little of what they were all saying, but it was difficult. There was a bunch of words here and there that didn’t make sense; at least not to him. Finally, his ears caught some man on the seats behind him explaining what he had missed. He basically said that they had to stay near the departure lounge and wait for the personnel to give them further instructions.

Ten minutes later, Sehun found himself sighing, relieved to having finally landed. As everyone emptied the plane, he took a pair of sunglasses and a cap out of his backpack and put them on.

He knew that snowboarding wasn’t a very popular sport—not as much as football, basketball or baseball, that is. But that didn’t mean people couldn’t recognize him. His face was everywhere. On TV spots, ads in stores, social media, magazines, the street… That was how people got to know him most of the time. Then there were snowboarding enthusiasts, who actually _knew_ who he was. So he would never go completely unnoticed. He needed the glasses and the cap. It wasn’t like he didn’t want people near him, but rather he didn’t want to make the situation even worse. Everyone was already distressed with the whole flying issue. To add a commotion caused by a sports celebrity was out of limits.

The lady next to him arranged her purse on her shoulder and stood up. Sehun immediately followed her. He left a considerable distance between them not to be rewarded with another scowl. Though he wouldn't mind receiving one. He preferred that than having to find his way in an airport full of signs in Japanese. Signs he wouldn't understand. Signs that would get him lost.

They joined the bunch of people traveling with them. As they moved around, some people glanced his way and stared more than what was necessary. He ducked his head and tried to stay at the center of the walking crowd, making them act as his shield from knowing eyes.

The crowd finally came to a stop at the departure lounge. Glancing around, Sehun realized that it was impossible to be there. Everyone at the airport had decided to wait there, it seemed, complicating to move freely. It was like being at the market, with everyone talking at the same time and moving everywhere. He stood next to a wall, away from everyone. That would've done the trick to go almost unnoticed, but someone had still caught him in the move.

It was a guy, not so much older than him—or was he younger?—sitting in one of the seats, with his backpack on his lap. He had silver-dyed hair under a black cap. Small nose, small mouth… Everything on him looked _petit_ , almost delicate. He had his eyes narrowed at him. His face was scrunched, as if he were trying to remember where he had seen Sehun before.

Sehun gulped and adjusted his sunglasses, hoping the guy wouldn't recognize him. To his relief, a woman wearing clothes like those of the attendants at the plane, stood at the entrance of the lounge. He guessed she belonged to the same airline. She put a megaphone to her lips and began to speak—in Korean, _thank God._

“Dear passengers, may I have your attention, please?”

Almost as if they had rehearsed it, people turned their heads towards her at the same time.

“As you may already know,” she said, “there are some inconveniences with flights heading to Hokkaido region. Heavy snowstorms have let loose and weather forecasts don’t know for sure when they will calm down.”

A growl in unison flooded the area and the woman waited for a moment before continuing. She explained the same as the attendant at the plane: that they could wait and rebook, or get a refund. When she explained where they have to queue, everyone moved, probably wanting to be the first on the line. Which was ridiculous, because they couldn't go anywhere, anyway.

Sehun stayed next to the wall for a few minutes, waiting for the area to clear. His eyes landed on the guy at the seats. He hadn't moved either and was still staring at him, with the same inquiring expression.

It was disconcerting and uncomfortable. He was sure that this guy was almost there. It was a matter of time before he realized he was Oh Sehun, the guy at the TV spots. Or maybe that he was Oh Sehun, the guy at the TV spots _and_ the amazing snowboarder. Whatever. It didn't matter which one he realized. Sehun couldn't afford getting recognized. So in a quick attempt to stop any reveal of identity, he fished his phone from his pocket. He still had to call Chanyeol.

It rang four times before a click sound went into his ear, followed by a groan.

_“What? Who's this?”_

Charming as always. Sehun tried not to roll his eyes and turned away from the other guy.

“The love of your life,” he said. He heard another groan. Then some movement. Then Chanyeol's voice flowed out the speaker again.

_“I was sleeping. What do you want?”_

Sehun frowned, pulling the phone away from his ear. He immediately put it back. “It's almost three, Park.”

_“Fuck you. I'm jet lagged.”_

Sehun snorted and adjusted his cap. “Niseko and Seoul have the same hour. You can't be jet lagged.”

Chanyeol had arrived to the resort three days before him. _“So I can check everything for the competition,”_ he had said, but Sehun didn't believe him. He was sure that what Chanyeol had wanted was to have Sehun's suite all for himself. To have some time alone so he could take his snowboard down some slopes before having to work. Focus on important competition matters instead of his wealthy-life amenities, his ass.

_“What do you want?”_ Chanyeol repeated. _”Aren't you supposed to be on a plane? When are you arriving?”_

“I don't know.”

_“Huh?”_

“The flight got diverted,” Sehun said. “I'm in Fukuoka.”

This seemed to wake Chanyeol up. His voice sounded louder and less sleepy. _”What?!”_

“Apparently Hokkaido's having such heavy snowstorms that all flights had to be diverted. And I guess cancelled, too.”

_“But… Wait.”_ By the sounds of it, Chanyeol was getting out of bed and walking around the room. _”Oh, shit…”_ he muttered under his breath, and then aloud, _”It's snowing, Sehun.”_

This time, Sehun did roll his eyes. “Look, nobody knows when we'll be able to leave, so—”

_“But you've got a competition!”_

“—the airline is offering us to—”

_“You have to be here before Saturday! Do you think the snowstorm will stop soon?”_

“—either rebook the— Chanyeol, shut up! Let me finish!”

_“Ah, yes. Yes. Continue.”_

Sehun sighed and started again. “The airline is offering us to rebook the flight or get a refund of the difference of prices between the two flights. What do I do?” He didn't hear anything on the other side and raised an eyebrow. “You can speak now. I'm done.”

_“Shut up, I'm thinking.”_

Sehun heard him moving around again and then the sound of a laptop's keyboard. He leaned on the wall, waiting. This call would cost him a kidney.

_“Alright,”_ Chanyeol eventually said. _”There are some flights available from Fukuoka to Seoul. I was thinking you could go home. Would that be a good idea? You're already there, so you could wait, but do you wanna go home?”_

“Wouldn't that be tiring?”

_“Maybe, but— wait. For the refund. Which are those two flights?”_

“Seoul-Sapporo and Seoul-Fukuoka.”

_“How much would the difference be? No, never mind. It doesn't matter. You can't leave the airport. The refund won’t be good.”_

“So?”

_“You should stay there and wait.”_

Okay. Rebooking was it, then.

Sehun straightened again and arranged his backpack. He walked towards the queue area and grimaced when he saw how long the lines were.

“What do forecasts say?” he asked, getting in line with his head downcast so nobody would notice him. There were at least thirty people in front of him. It was going to be a long wait and he realized that he was hungry.

_“They aren't that good. Not for today, at least.”_

Sehun puffed and kicked his foot on the floor. “Do you think this is going to last long? How heavy's the storm?”

_“Very. I don't see anything through the window.”_

A groan got stuck in his throat. What was he going to do if the storms lasted for days? There was no way he could stay there, waiting. He had to get to the resort. He couldn't miss this competition. He had a feeling that this year the cup would be his and he wouldn't miss this sign of fate.

The call lasted for another twenty minutes before Chanyeol hung up to go to eat. For a moment Sehun hated him and wondered if he could get rid of the guy. Then he remembered that Chanyeol was an important element of his sports life, so he forgave him for rubbing on his face—or more like rubbing on his ear—that he was eating and Sehun wasn't.

Sighing, he looked around. Nothing had changed much. Everyone was still conflicted about the flights. Walking and talking. Pushing and calling. All in a frenzy that he only saw behind the scenes during competitions.

He didn’t know for how long he stayed there, but when he realized, it was already his turn. He took his cap and sunglasses off and smiled at the man at the counter, aiming to look polite. He opened his mouth to speak, but the man beat him to it. To say that he panicked was, without a doubt, the most accurate description of what he was experiencing. The man was speaking in Japanese— _obviously; unfortunately_ —so fast that had Sehun even spoken the language, wouldn't he have been able to understand him, anyway.

He stared at him for a moment, with his mouth slightly open and a worried frown adorning his forehead. When the other finished with his speech, Sehun blinked and cleared his throat.

“Uh… Sorry,” he started, “but I don't speak Japanese.”

The man said something again and Sehun's frown deepened.

“Really, I… I don't understand.”

The man kept on speaking and Sehun gaped at him like a fish. He considered calling Chanyeol again for translating purposes. He was his Japanese translator, after all. But then the man changed language, catching him off guard.

“What?” he lamely asked.

The man spoke again. Sehun recognized the weird sentences as English, and _fucking hell,_ he didn't speak English either. He barely knew the basics. For a moment he berated his past self for choosing learning Chinese over any other useful traveling language. He stared at the man, hoping he could find somewhere on his face the words to speak to him—he didn't.

“Alright, sir. Listen. I…” Sehun gestured towards himself. He then made a letter 'x' with his arms and shook his head. “Don't…” With one finger, he tapped his temples and then pointed at the man. “Understand you,” he said. “I don't understand you.”

The poor man looked as confused as him and Sehun felt like crying.

He had to call Chanyeol.

Taking his phone out from his pocket, he dialed Chanyeol's number. It rang one, two, three, four, five times and then it went to voicemail. Swearing under his breath, Sehun held a hand in front of him, asking the man to wait. He was about to call again when a voice in an accented English broke through the noise around them.

Sehun stiffened.

Oh, no.

Oh, no, no.

Hell no.

_No._

He wiped his head around, so fast that for a brief moment everything spun. He could recognize that voice anywhere. It was the voice he hated the most. The voice of his worst nightmares. The voice that reminded him, ever since he became a professional snowboarder, that the first place couldn't be his. _Would never be his._

But it couldn't be, right? The voice. It couldn't be _that_ voice. Or… could it? _Nah,_ it couldn't. He couldn't have that much bad luck. He had already had one bad incident in the day—a pretty bad one—and another one would be excessive.

A few seconds later, though, the voice spoke again.

Sehun desperately searched among the ocean of heads, wishing he was going crazy. That he had imagined it. That it had only been a product of his head—which was alarming, to say the least. He didn't want his conscience to have _that_ voice. But soon enough he realized he hadn't imagined it. His eyes landed on a head with messy, curly, black strands of hair and he wanted to smash his own head on the counter.

There, a few lines from his, was the person who he least wanted to see—fucking Zhang Yixing.

He felt his eyes going wide, his jaw dropping to the floor, and his face contorting with horror. And annoyance. And confusion.

What the hell was Zhang Yixing doing there?!

Alright, they were at the airport. This could only mean he had to be traveling. But it had to be a joke, right? To coincide at the same airport. To be _stuck_ on the same airport _._

_With. Zhang. Yixing_.

It had to be a joke. One hundred percent. Life had got to be kidding with him. Otherwise then it meant he did have that much bad luck. He didn’t want to have that much bad luck.

He stood rooted on his place, staring, as Yixing exchanged words with the woman at the counter. He didn’t even understand their conversation, but Yixing’s voice was everything he could hear. His ears had muted every other sound. And had Sehun been in a different situation, he was sure he would’ve cringed at his own behavior.

Next to him, the man at the counter, as well as the other people in line, were speaking. He grasped a few words in Japanese and Korean; the Korean ones telling him to move aside. He paid them no mind, for Yixing then finished with his business and began walking away.

Something in Sehun snapped. Without giving it a second thought, he got out of line and walked in the same direction as him. He was pushing his sunglasses on his face again when he realized that he didn’t have a plan.

Why was he following Yixing, to begin with?

Hell, he didn't know!

But he did know that he couldn’t afford losing sight of him. It wasn’t like he was excited to be at the same place as him, but Yixing was supposed to be at Niseko in a few days, too. Maybe Sehun could get a few answers from him.

“Zhang!” he called. The words were out of his mouth before he could process what he was doing. But the noise around them was awful. Yixing didn’t hear him. He tried again. “Zhang Yixing!”

Yixing stopped on his tracks, his back straightening and going on full-tense mode. He looked around as Sehun walked the distance that remained between them. When Yixing finally found him, he was already standing in front of him.

Yixing’s face was priceless. His eyes looked like they were going to pop out. His mouth formed a perfect round shape. His eyebrows were so high that they were hidden under his fringe. He stared at Sehun for a short moment, then schooled his face, looking like he had smelled poop, the bastard.

“Not that I’m not happy to see you, but I do love the time I don’t have to spend with you,” Yixing said. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

Sehun frowned, immediately regretting having followed him. “You tell me what you're doing here.”

“I asked first,” Yixing said, changing his smelling-poop face to his you-bore-me face.

Sehun scowled and considered going back from where he had come. But then he realized that some of the people around them were already staring, whispering and pointing at them. Ignoring his previous intentions, he put on his cap again. “Let’s go somewhere else. People are staring.”

Yixing raised his eyebrows, as if he had remembered they were in public. He turned around, pulling the cap of the hoodie he was wearing under his super thick plaid jacket over his head.

They walked away with their heads low. Ignoring everyone around them and only coming to a stop once they were back at the departure lounge. They stood at the furthest corner and Sehun stepped in front of Yixing so he could shield him from people. Not that he cared about him or anything, but if Sehun's face was everywhere on ads, so was Yixing's. They were like the Lionel Messi and the Cristiano Ronaldo of snowboarding—Sehun was Messi, of course. Everyone knew Messi was better—so people could recognize them without a problem.

“So,” Yixing prompted, glancing up at him.

“What are you doing here? Were you traveling?” Sehun blurted without thinking and immediately regretted it.

What in the world was that question? He had already concluded that. It was obvious he was traveling! Yixing wasn't having a picnic at the airport, for fuck's sake!

He waited for Yixing's typical scowl. The one that he always gave him whenever he thought Sehun was being dumb. And sure thing, without missing a beat, Yixing curled his lip and scrunched his nose.

“This, Sehun,” Yixing slowly said, as if talking to a toddler, “is an airport. Airports exist for people to travel. So I'm here because I was traveling, yes.”

_That!_ That was one of the things Sehun hated the most about the fucker in front of him! Zhang was a patronizing asshole. He _loved_ to do it, as though he relished trying to make Sehun seem intellectually inferior. And not only intellectually inferior, but inferior than him in general; in everything. That attitude was always there whenever they were near, and it drove Sehun crazy. He never knew what to counter back and it was frustrating.

This time wasn't any different. So he chose to ignore Yixing's stupid explanation and moved to more important matters.

“Were you heading to Niseko already?” he asked. He was expecting Yixing to scowl again, but to his surprise, that didn't happen.

Yixing nodded, his curly fringe banging on his forehead. “You?”

Oh… _oh. Wait._

“I was, too!” Sehun said. “Were we on the same plane?”

“How am I supposed to know that?”

Well, Sehun didn't know, but that wasn't his problem. He decided that shrugging was a good enough answer. Leave it to the one who always proclaimed himself the smarter one.

Yixing stared at him for a moment and then said in a bored tone, “I took off from Incheon at midday. Flight CTS-0137, Seoul to Sapporo. Was that also yours?”

Sehun blinked, slightly annoyed and, unfortunately, highly awed. Yixing had found an easy way to know, indeed.

Typical.

How did he always manage to sound so… so… _cool_ and _intelligent_ , even when he was talking about things like flight numbers? It was beyond Sehun, but Yixing had always been that kind of person, so it wasn't a surprise.

“I'm not sure,” he said, not bothering to check the details of his flight. As far as he now knew, they had taken off at the same hour and place, so it was likely to be the same. “I guess it was.”

“I didn't see you,” Yixing said. “Where were you sitting?”

Ah, of course Yixing didn’t see him. He didn't have to suffer in economy class. Yixing's Chanyeol was a taller, creepier, and very Chinese version of Chanyeol called Yifan. Yifan, who didn't care whether Yixing only focused on his wealthy-life amenities. Yifan, who was a good trainer and a good friend. Chanyeol should learn from Yifan.

“I didn't want to travel on first class.” Sehun shrugged when Yixing raised an eyebrow. “It's boring. More interesting things happen on economy class.”

Yixing looked amused, but didn't press the matter anymore. “Why are you alone, anyway? Where's Park?”

Sehun blinked, thinking about a good answer. Because he was certainly _not_ going to tell Yixing the real reason why.

“Did he get tired of babysitting you?” Yixing asked, with an ugly smirk creeping at the corner of his mouth.

Sehun grimaced, feeling his face heating up. For a moment he realized that punching Yixing in his perfect face wouldn't be so bad of an idea. He was against violence, but Yixing knew how to get under his skin and he hated that he let him, even if he knew he shouldn't.

Adjusting his cap, he turned around and walked away. He was already tired of dealing with Yixing's shit. Why in hell had he thought that talking to that asshole would turn out fine? That had never happened before. Given their history, he should've known the outcome of this. Their talks always ended with one of them—if not both—fuming and near to exploding. It was never safe to talk.

Whatever.

He didn't need him. He didn't—

“Sehun!”

He stopped and turned around. Yixing was a few steps behind him. Why was he following him now? _Bah,_ he didn't care! He put his most hateful glare on and immediately thought it was a shame he was wearing sunglasses.

“What are you going to do?” Yixing asked once he was standing in front of him.

Sehun frowned. “What?”

Yixing adjusted the strap of his backpack on his shoulder. “Are you gonna rebook or get the refund?”

Sehun's eyebrows furrowed even more. What was Yixing on about?

“I talked to Chanyeol and he asked me to wait for a rebook. I guess I'll—”

“Get the refund.”

“What?”

“Get the refund.”

“I— _What?_ No! _You_ get the refund.”

He wasn't even sure why he was being so defensive. But this was weird. Where was this idea coming from? Why was Yixing being so patient all of a sudden? That was completely out of character. It was freaking him out. Nobody could blame him for reacting like that.

“I've already got it,” Yixing said.

Good for him. Sehun didn't care.

“Come on, get the refund,” Yixing repeated when he didn't get a reply. “We're getting out of here.”

“We can't, genius,” Sehun said. “Didn't you hear anything of what they said?”

“That's why we're getting the refund. We're going to get there by car and we'll need the money to finance the trip. Not that we _need_ the refund, but you get what I mean.”

Sehun stared at him, completely dumbfounded. Never mind what he had said before. Yixing was _not_ smart. At all.

“Are you stupid?” he asked and Yixing rolled his eyes. “No, for real. Are you? Because this is the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard.”

“Think about it!” Yixing raised his voice, causing people to look at them. Again. He breathed in once and fixed his tone back to normal. “If flights don't restart soon, leaving by car will turn into our only way to get the fuck out of here. At this rate, it'll take us the same as if we leave on a plane. We could even arrive earlier.”

Sehun shook his head. “Even if it were a good idea, _which is not,_ I would get out of here on my own. There's no way I'm leaving with you.”

And really, there was no way.

He wasn’t willing to do that.

Nope.

_Nuh-uh._

They could barely keep things civilized between them for more than thirty seconds. Transporting an atomic bomb throughout the continent was safer than hitchhiking with Zhang Yixing. God knew that it would end up unleashing the third, fourth, and even the fifth world wars. Peace would never last.

“Now you're just being ridiculous,” Yixing said, making his smelling-poop face again. “Just think about this: if you leave by yourself, and something happens to you, nobody would ever notice. I can't let you go alone. It's safer if we go together.”

“ _I am_ _safer_ if we don't go together,” Sehun said. “You’re expecting me to trust you somehow with this and that's not going to happen. How do I know this isn't some sort of plan to get me out of the way? You could be planning to get rid of me so you don’t lose your first place. I can't risk it.”

“Jesus Christ, Sehun! Do you ever listen to the shit that comes out your mouth?”

“I don’t know. _Do you?”_ Sehun retorted. “ ‘Cause the only one who's talking shit is you.”

“Oh, c’mon! Stop being a dumbass!” Yixing threw his hands up and Sehun stepped back to avoid receiving a hit. “You're talking nonsense!”

“You can't blame me! How am I supposed to put my safety in the hands of my biggest rival? Now _that_ is nonsense!”

“Oh, believe me! I’m tremendously disappointed that I still haven’t found a way to get rid of you.”

“Stop being sarcastic!” Sehun snapped. “This is a serious matter. My life's a serious matter, Zhang!”

“Of course it is, _Oh,”_ Yixing mumbled, pushing his hands to his face. “Of course it is.” He rubbed his face and let out a long, tired sigh. “Listen, I'm being serious. I do want to get us out of here. Let's just, I don’t know… Agree to a ceasefire or whatever.”

Sehun raised his eyebrows.

They were agreeing to _what_ now?

“Don't get too excited,” Yixing added when he saw Sehun's expression. “It's only until we arrive to Niseko. We can go back to normal after that.”

Sehun eyed suspiciously at him. There was something completely off here. Definitely with Yixing, and probably with Sehun himself, too. He had to be going nuts to even consider Yixing’s offer as tempting. Had the height of the flight ruined his brain? Yeah, it most likely had— _it had._

“If I say yes,” he warily said, not believing his words, “you have to promise that you won’t get rid or me.”

“Oh, fucking hell!” Yixing groaned. “Are you being serious?”

Sehun wasn’t sure. Their rivalry had lasted long enough to know that it wasn’t a possibility. Yixing wouldn’t do something like that. He didn’t seem the criminal type. Yet he couldn’t risk it.

“You have to promise it.”

For a moment he feared that Yixing would take his offer back. Oddly enough, he didn't. He snorted and shook his head, instead.

“As you wish, your majesty. Can we go get your refund now?”

“We?”

“Yes. _We_ , _”_ Yixing said. “You don’t speak Japanese, do you? Nor English, as far as I remember. I’m gonna help you stop embarrassing yourself at the counter.”

Sehun scowled. Yixing was insufferable and he really, really wanted to walk away and leave the idiot behind. He was annoyed and also, all this situation was screaming _‘Warning’_ at him. He would’ve listened to his instinct any other day. But he had run out of options—not that he had had many options, to begin with. Yixing had offered him a direct ticket to Niseko and he wasn’t stupid not to take it.

“Okay,” he said, adjusting his backpack and turning around. “Fine. Whatever. But be aware that I don't trust you.”

“My exact thoughts,” Yixing mumbled behind him.

And as they walked towards the counter, Sehun could only think that this was going to be the most interesting trip of his life. He could only hope that fate wouldn’t play tricks on him—though it wasn’t as if anything worse could happen, could it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!!
> 
> Welcome to the winter mess I created for EXO Seasonal Fest Round 3!!
> 
> This round ended back in January, but for some personal issues I couldn't finish this on time. Fortunately, the mods held an adoptions season, and thus I adopted my prompt and kept writing it. Trust me when I tell you that the mods, all of them, were (are) amazing! They were understanding and every single word they wrote to me helped me in more ways than I'll ever get to express. So thank you so, so much! It was a big pleasure to work with you. ♥
> 
> Here we are, now, some months later, finally letting this little one see the light. I'll post this in chapters since it turned out to be longer than I had originally planned—which won 't be a surprise for you if you've read any other of my fics. You know Idk how to write short. What's new............. But anyway! The fic is finished, so I'm planning to post one chapter a day. I really hope the story is enough of your liking so you can stay with me until I post the final one.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! See you, if everything goes as planned, tomorrow! ♥(:


	2. Chapter 2

Being fairly honest, Sehun hadn’t considered that Yixing was being serious about renting a car. Granted, their whole fight had been about hitchhiking together or not, but he hadn’t thought about what it all would actually imply. So now, as he took care of their suitcases, and Yixing made the final arrangements to rent the car, he was beginning to wonder if this whole thing was actually a good idea. Judging by the face the guy at the counter was doing, it was probably not.

Yixing had asked him to check how the snowstorm was doing—it was bad, and according to the forecasts, it was getting worse. The huge snowstorm covering Hokkaido was only growing. It was even expected to cover almost the whole country in a few days. A real-life _Snowpocalypse_ , it seemed.

“Alright,” Yixing said once he was done. He had some maps, brochures, and the keys in one hand. “We gotta go get the car and then we can leave this hell of a place. How's the weather?”

“Still snowing,” Sehun said, taking hold of his luggage. “Do you think this is, you know, safe?”

That he had agreed to come with Yixing didn't mean he had changed his mind about it being a stupid plan. It was dangerous and statistically, they were up to fail with a 97% of probability—he had now a _'how probable is it to die hitchhiking with your biggest enemy in the middle of a snowstorm'_ entry on his Internet search history. He had found the answer on a weird forum, so it wasn't that reliable, but still. The probability of them failing was high.

“We're more likely to die because we killed each other than for a snowstorm, trust me,” Yixing said. He took his own suitcase and walked away, with Sehun on tow.

“But you promised not to kill me.”

Yixing looked at him, his eyebrow raised. “No… I promised not to get rid of you.”

“Isn't it the same?”

“Not really. I could kill you and then keep your corpse with me. I wouldn't be getting rid of you in that case.”

 _“God!_ Have you always been this gross?!” Sehun cringed and moved two steps to his side, leaving more distance between them.

Yixing snorted, shaking his head. “Take it easy. I would never kill you. It’s way too fun to beat you on the slopes to even consider doing it.”

Sehun glared at him, but Yixing only focused on looking ahead. That didn’t stop him from mumbling, “Asshole.”

Yixing ignored that and kept on walking until they were at the exit gate. When the doors opened, a cold breeze hit them. Sehun shivered and moved his hand to his head, securing his cap. Next to him, Yixing did the same with the cap of his jacket. Almost immediately, Yixing moved back inside the airport and stood near the gates. Not so close to open them, but near enough to see the outside.

“What are you doing?” Sehun asked, following him back inside.

“Unlock your phone and give it to me,” Yixing ordered, placing his suitcase next to Sehun's.

“Why?”

Putting his hand to his pocket, Sehun covered his phone, as if fearing Yixing would steal it—which was ridiculous, because Yixing had more than enough money to buy one hundred phones. But whatever. He didn't trust him.

“Come on, Oh. We don’t have all day.”

Yixing took out his own phone and extended his hand. Reluctantly, Sehun did as he was told. Yixing then fumbled with Sehun’s phone until he found whatever it was he was looking for. A few seconds later, Yixing’s rang and just like that, he handled Sehun's back.

“I’m gonna go get the car,” Yixing said, putting his phone back in his pocket. “You stay here and wait for my call. Take care of my suitcase and don’t go anywhere.”

“Why can’t I go with you?”

“You’re not of much use. You can't communicate. And besides,” Yixing said, adjusting his jacket, “it’s freezing out there.”

 _It was freezing out there?_ Oh, how considerate, Zhang! Really! To pretend to care about him feeling cold right after having implied he was useless!

“So what?!” Sehun exclaimed. “You don't speak Japanese, either. I don’t want to be a caretaker to the luggage anymore.”

“Just stay _here,_ Sehun.”

With that, Yixing turned around and headed out.

Sehun scoffed but still stayed, waiting for his call.

He couldn't believe it. He was, literally, waiting for Yixing's call. What was next? To ask him out? To kiss him? That would be marvelous, wouldn't it? To date Zhang I'm-a-total-asshole Yixing.

Scoffing once again, Sehun shook his head. He pitied whatever girl who might be dating him—if he was dating, that was. Was Yixing dating? Now that he thought about it, Sehun had never known about Yixing having a girlfriend. Or… well, having _someone_. Was Yixing dating a girl? Or a boy? Was Yixing into boys? It wasn't like it was Sehun's business. He couldn't care less, but it was a bit… intriguing. For as long as they had known each other, he had heard gossips about Yixing's love life. But none of them had ever been confirmed, and a lot had been denied by Yixing himself. So there wasn't a way to know, and it wasn't like Yixing walked around telling everyone. He was very discreet about his private life.

Could it be because he had never been in a relationship? Sehun didn't know, but nobody could stay alone for so long, right? Maybe Yixing was a terrible boyfriend. Was Yixing a terrible boyfriend? How would he be like as a boyfriend?

For a brief moment those questions danced around his head but he immediately shook them off. That was a ridiculous, without mentioning weird, train of thought. Again, it wasn't his business. He didn't care.

Shaking his head again, he looked around, trying to distract himself. There was nothing interesting to look at. People were still roaming around, with the intention of getting to their destinations. However, a few meters away standing close to the door, he noticed someone staring at him. He took advantage of his sunglasses and stared back.

It was the same guy from before at the departure lounge.

What was he doing? Was he following him? It couldn't be. Sehun had been arguing with Yixing, sure, but he wasn't _that_ easily distracted. He would've noticed him. The guy had to be waiting, like everybody else. Definitely not following him around. But his stare was making him uncomfortable, and now that he paid attention, his face was familiar from somewhere. Where had he seen him? He didn't remember, but he was sure that he had seen him before. He focused, trying to remember. But before he could think it any further, his phone rang, bringing him back to reality.

He looked away from the guy and out the gates. “Hello?”

_“Get our things and come out. I'm at the front.”_

“Don't you know how to say please?” Sehun asked, scrunching his face up.

_“C'mon, get on the car.”_

“Stop ordering me around! You’re not my boss!” The annoyance bubbled in his chest. He was seriously considering leaving Yixing’s suitcase abandoned there and walking away. For real this time; his plan to get to Niseko be damned.

 _“Yeah, look,”_ Yixing said, ignoring his protests—making him want to throw his phone away. _”We’ve got a white SUV. I’m behind this car with an obnoxious orange paint. Now hurry.”_

And then he ended the call.

The asshole fucking ended the call.

Was the whole trip going to be like this? Because if that was the case, then Sehun was out. Yixing wasn’t making it easy at all. _Get the refund! Get our things! Get on the car!_ Why couldn’t he be polite? Yixing was doing it only to mess around with him, but it didn’t cost him anything to behave like an educated human being. It was unnerving and completely unacceptable. Sehun wasn't some pet who could be ordered around. He was a fucking person and he had to be treated as such.

Taking Yixing’s suitcase with one hand, and his own with the other, he walked out the airport. He looked around and it didn’t take him long to find the orange car. He headed towards it and saw, right behind it, the white SUV. The lights around the place reflected on it, making it look like made of glass. He wasn’t a car expert, so he didn’t know if that machine would keep them safe or not, but it was definitely beautiful. The only thing ruining it, in fact, was the man behind the wheel.

When said man saw him, he hopped out, pointed his thumb to the back and climbed into the passenger seat.

Alright… So, apparently, Sehun was driving. Awesome.

He walked to the back, as Yixing had signaled him. There was a guy who offered to take the suitcases. He put them on the trunk, and immediately moved to the next car, leaving Sehun standing there alone. He then climbed on the SUV. The coziness from the inside almost made him forget that he was mad— _almost._ Taking off his cap and sunglasses, he faced Yixing, sending him his most hateful glare. Finally.

“Listen here, idiot.” He pointed an accusatory finger at him. “If we're gonna do this, we need to make something clear. You have to stop bossing me around. I'm not your slave.”

“Hell, calm down.” Yixing shook his head and turned to put on the seat belt. “I'm going to regret bringing you.”

“Let me remind you that I didn't want to come, but _you_ insisted. Deal with it now.”

“Whatever. Get us out of here,” Yixing ordered, then immediately added, _”Please.”_

Satisfied, Sehun placed his backpack on the backseat next to Yixing’s. He secured himself and started the SUV without any further question. He would delight himself with having won this round.

He took them off the waiting line towards the parking lot exit. The weather, he noticed, wasn’t as bad as he had thought. There was a strong wind blowing, but there was no sign that it was going to snow anytime soon. Though it still was bound to happen. Would the snowstorm begin once they were on the road? If that was the case, was the car able to get them through it? Was _he_ able to get them through it? He could only hope. Otherwise they were screwed.

When they were a few cars away from the exit, he felt himself relaxing on his seat. It was taking each car like five minutes to leave, so they still had a few minutes there before they were out. He leaned on the window, relieved that they were almost on their way. He couldn’t enjoy the moment for that long, though. A map suddenly landed on his lap, startling him.

“Be useful and help me with that, _please,_ ” Yixing said, emphasizing the last word. He had a brochure in one hand and his phone in the other.

“What are you doing?”

“Trying to translate this thing.” Yixing placed the brochure behind the phone, trying to probably scan it. “Help me with that. In which direction are we supposed to go?”

Begrudgingly, Sehun unfolded the map. He struggled to make it fit in front of him. It was massive. As soon as he began studying it, he gave up with it. Everything was in Japanese, so there died any small help he could actually offer.

“So?” Yixing inquired a few minutes later. “Where to?”

“Uh…” Sehun squinted at the map, as if doing so would translate it. “I’m not sure.”

“Very useful.”

“Shut up, I don’t understand what this says. I don’t even know where we are exactly.”

Yixing groaned and rested his head on the back of his seat. “Toss that thing into the backseat. It’s useless, just like you.”

Sehun made a massive ball with the massive map and threw it at him. It didn’t really made any harm, unfortunately, so he was disappointed.

“We could’ve used this later, you moron!” Yixing said, trying to straighten the map again to no avail.

Sehun only shrugged. He didn’t give a damn about a map he couldn’t even understand. Leaning back on his seat, he let out a long sigh. Why were they using the map, anyway? Wasn't it easier to use the GPS? They hadn’t really thought it through, had they?

“Okay, listen,” Yixing said, putting the still wrinkled map on the backseat. “We can’t drive aimlessly. We need a plan. Once we’re out of here, we’re finding a place to eat, because I’m starving. Then we can find out what we’re gonna do.”

Sehun immediately perked at the mention of food. He hated Yixing, but he was starving, too. He could actually thank him for having that amazing idea—he could, but he didn’t. Instead he shrugged again, acting nonchalant about it.

When they were on the street, out of the airport, Yixing told him where to go. In less than two minutes, they were driving inside a small parking lot with an equal small business. It had a sign with a surprised pig holding a bowl.

Sehun parked, secured his jacket not to get cold, and got off the car after taking his backpack out. Yixing did the same. They walked in, and he confirmed that the restaurant was small, indeed. There were a few tables on one side, and a counter with some stools on the other. Yixing chose one of the tables and sat down. Sehun sat in front of him.

“Have you ever tried Tonkotsu ramen?” Yixing asked.

Sehun shook his head.

According to what Yixing explained, it was a soup from Fukuoka itself. The broth was made out of pork head and back fat, served with noodles and sliced pork belly.

It sounded tasty, Sehun thought, and with a hungry stomach, even more.

By the time Yixing finished his explanation, an old man came to take their order. Yixing shot him a smile and bowed, looking as though they knew each other somehow. He then proceeded to order in what seemed a very well-practiced Japanese. Sehun wondered if he had only learned the basics to order his meals there.

“You seem familiar with this place,” he commented once the man was gone.

Yixing looked at him, eyebrow raised. “Is this some sort of chat to kill the uncomfortable silence?”

Sehun rolled his eyes and looked away. He was certainly _not_ interested in knowing, but he didn’t want to sit there in what was, in fact, an uncomfortable silence. Apparently Yixing wasn’t thinking the same.

It was better for him. This way he wouldn’t have to spend his time thinking what to say to this guy.

“I’ve come quite a few times,” Yixing said.

Sehun looked back at him and slightly raised his eyebrows.

“The owners are kind. The food is good. Not a lot people come.” Yixing shrugged. “It’s a nice place.”

“Do you come often?” Sehun asked.

Yixing shook his head. “I had a few competitions here when I was a rookie, but that’s about it. Yifan found this place by accident, actually.”

Sehun nodded, but didn’t comment anything else. Honestly, he didn’t know what else to say and it wasn’t like he felt like talking. He fiddled with his phone for a while until the old man came back with their meals.

His mouth watered when the smell reached his nose. His stomach rumbled and he couldn’t wait any longer. As soon as the man left, Sehun took one of the plates and started eating. His taste buds exploded and he did a sound similar to a hum and a moan. It was the best thing he had eaten in his entire life—or maybe not, but it was the first thing he ate in hours. That should count just the same.

The process was to take ramen, slurp it, munch it, and repeat. He did this a few times before he noticed that Yixing wasn’t eating. With his chopsticks halfway to his mouth, he looked up to find the guy looking at him with some sort of disgust.

“What?” he asked after he gulped.

“You seriously got no manners,” Yixing said, scrunching his nose.

“If I’m hungry, I eat. You should do the same.” Sehun shrugged and continued with his food. He couldn’t care less about manners. He had some needs to fulfill and he would focus on that first.

Another plate of ramen later, he leaned back on his chair and let out a contented sigh. This had been, by far, the best thing that had occurred to him the whole day. His tummy was happy now, so he was happy, too.

“Let’s get to business now,” Yixing said, pushing aside their plates. “We got today and another three days to get to Niseko. I think we can make it, but we need a solid plan.”

He fumbled with his phone, took a clean napkin from the table and a pen out from his backpack. He wrote down some words and numbers as Sehun observed, trying to understand what he was doing.

When Yixing was done, he shoved the napkin towards him. “It’s a 26-hour-straight trip from Fukuoka to Niseko. Obviously we—”

“We can't drive 26 hours straight,” Sehun interrupted.

“I know. Let me finish.” Yixing made a face and placed his phone on the table. “We can make four stops. Those here”—he placed a finger in the napkin—”are the estimated times.”

Sehun put the napkin closer to take a look. It had a few places and times written. He guessed those were their stops.

_Fukuoka - Okayama, 5h 30m_

_Okayama - Tokyo, 10h_

_Tokyo - Akita, 7h 50min_

_Akita - Hakodate, 8h 15min_

_Hakodate - Niseko, 2h 30min_

“Right now it’s almost five,” Yixing continued, glancing at his phone’s screen. “We could start heading to Okayama, and we could make it there an hour or two before midnight. Tomorrow we get to Tokyo. The day after, to Akita. And on day four, we can cover the rest to Niseko. In Hakodate we’ll have to take a ferry, though, so we’ll get someone to retrieve the car or something. After that, either Yifan or Chanyeol can find us, take us to the resort, and that would be it.

“I'm distributing all those places so you don't drive for too long. I don't want to tire you. We're not considering any possible mishaps, of course, but I hope we’re lucky enough not to find any.” Yixing leaned on the table and crossed his arms. “What do you think?”

Sehun stared at the napkin. The plan did sound solid. It had logic. It could work. Now the only thing left was to find a way to move the SUV throughout the country without getting lost.

“I like it,” he said. “But what do you mean I am driving? Aren't we taking turns?”

Yixing shook his head. “I don’t trust you with the car, but I can't drive.”

_Wait, what?_

“Why not?”

“Chinese permits don’t work here.” Yixing reached his phone and fumbled with it as he spoke. “Yours will have to make do.”

“How did you even manage to rent the car?”

“I told them you're Korean and were the one driving. At first they didn't believe me. Then I said they would get a queue if they didn't hurry, and here we are.”

Sehun rose his eyebrows. How come that had even worked? Yixing was something else. Seriously.

He looked down at the napkin once again. Fours stops didn’t sound like a lot of trouble. Plus the times between one city and the other weren’t that long. 10 hours at most, according to the napkin. It shouldn’t be that hard.

“Fine,” he said. “I’ll drive and you’ll navigate.”

Yixing straightened again and shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?”

“I’m shitty with directions.”

 _Ah!_ So there was something Yixing wasn't good at… The perfect Zhang had a flaw. Unbelievable.

“You'll have to find a way to be, because you can't drive.” Sehun shrugged, feeling powerful. He was being the one in charge for once.

Yixing glared at him for a moment before rolling his eyes and shaking his head. Again. “Don’t tell me later I didn’t warn you.”

“How many times do you think we’ll have to stop to fill the tank?” Sehun asked, ignoring him. Not like it was with a bad intention—it kind of was—but his question was more important than entertaining Yixing's ridiculous banter. The amount of times they stopped were important and had to be reduced to the minimal.

Yixing raised his eyebrows. “I hadn’t considered that.”

“That’s literally a basic for road trips. Haven’t you ever been to one?”

“Shut up.”

Sehun rolled his eyes, but stayed in silence as he saw Yixing fumbling with his phone once again. Soon after, the guy began mumbling his calculations, writing them down on the napkin. Sehun couldn’t help but stare confused at him. He wasn’t sure what Yixing was doing. He got a grasp of 35 miles per gallon and a full tank with 17 point something gallons. Something else about that amount being equivalent to five-hundred-whatever miles. Another thing about a total of a thousand and a hundred-something-else miles from Fukuoka to Hakodate.

Yixing tapped the screen a few times, then wrote down some numbers on the napkin. “If the online description of the car is accurate, to cover all the distance from here to Hakodate we’ll need a little bit more than two full tanks,” he said. “I don’t think it’s very necessary, given the capacity of the car, but we can refill every day before retaking the road. Just to make sure we don’t run out of gas in the middle of the expressway. Sounds good?”

Sehun stared at him for a brief moment before shrugging. It wasn’t like he had a better plan, so he guessed it was good. “I’m fine with it.”

“Okay, great,” Yixing said, standing up. “Now get all our things together. I’ll go pay.”

Sehun took the napkin and stood up to wait at the door. When Yixing was done, they got off and climbed back in the SUV. He turned up the heating and the defrosters and studied the board. He hadn’t had time to check the car before, so as Yixing played with his phone, he took his time to analyze what it was equipped with.

He discovered that the car was a fucking wonder. The touch-screen had an amazing tech system that included a super cool camera. It also had its own navigation system. A temperature-control system. Some of the most popular social media apps. Several channels of commercial-free music, sports, news sites... It was like having a laptop built into the car. It was awesome. He wanted a car like this one.

“Are you done playing?”

Yixing was looking at him with a mix of amusement and… fondness? Nah, it wasn’t fondness. It was more like curiousness. Probably. Or was it annoyance? It was most likely that. Sehun wasn’t sure but he didn’t care.

“You’re worse than a kid.” Yixing shook his head and looked back at his phone. “Anyway, I booked normal rooms for tonight. Is it okay? Or do you want a suit?”

“Normal is fine. I just want a bed to sleep.”

Going back to inspect the SUV’s features, Sehun checked if he could connect his phone to the sound system. Just in case he had to answer a call or something. Once he had synchronized them, he opened the navigation system. He knew they were heading to Okayama first, but that was vague. They needed a route.

“Where exactly are we going?” he asked.

“ANA Crowne Plaza Okayama.”

Sehun touched the screen and looked for the navigation system. A blue line appeared in the map and the automatic voice of a lady told them where to go.

_“Go northwest on Fukuoka South Bypass National Route 3 towards Prefectural Road 553. Use the right lane to take the Fukuoka Urban Expressway Circular Route.”_

Yixing frowned, staring at the screen. “She's going to stress me out.”

“Everything stresses you out,” Sehun said. Then something clicked in his head. He had understood the lady. She wasn't speaking in Japanese or English, but Korean. “Wait. Why is she speaking in Korean?”

“I asked to get the language adjusted for you. Can we go now?”

Yixing had an annoyed look on his face, but the tips of his ears were red. He was most likely embarrassed to seem... soft. Sehun would've made fun of him, but he was, in fact, impressed. And maybe even a little bit thankful. That had been… considerate. But he wasn't going to thank Yixing out loud. So he dropped the topic in his head and started the car, handing Yixing his phone.

“Take care of it.”

Yixing placed it on his lap and fastened his belt. “I’m going to throw it out the window.”

“Go ahead. You’ll have to buy me a new one.”

“I’ll buy you ten.”

Sehun rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything else. Following the lady's instructions, he took them out the restaurant's parking lot and entered the street again. Fortunately, there wasn't many traffic. Only the usual given they were near the airport.

In less than twenty minutes, they were on the expressway. The weather wasn't bad, save for the string wind. He hadn't checked the forecast again, but the road was fine. No snow. No frost. No fog. He guessed they were safe for now.

For a long time they were surrounded by pure silence.

Sehun hated silence.

Sehun hated the snowstorm.

Sehun hated having to resort to leaving by car.

Thinking about it, there was nothing he didn’t hate about this whole situation. On a normal basis, he could stay still only for so long. Hitchhiking implied being in a car for an ungodly amount of time. It was horrible. Whenever he had to do it, he always made sure to have Chanyeol with him to make it more tolerable. But this time Chanyeol was far from being there. He was stuck with Yixing instead. With a silent, annoying, boring Yixing, who was busy with ignoring him.

Honestly, Sehun didn’t mind that last part.

He hated this, but he hated Yixing more, so it was fine by him. Talking to Yixing would only ruin things. Talking to Yixing always led to trouble. And in all honesty, he wasn't feeling particularly fond of breaking the silence between them. But then again, the dreading silence was making him uncomfortable. He needed to fill it in, otherwise he wouldn't make it to Okayama.

Since he was _not_ going to talk to Yixing, he reached the touch-screen and punched it to find one of the music channels. Fortunately for him, the first he found was playing Whiz Khalifa. He liked this song. He bobbed his head once, twice, then Whiz Khalifa went mute.

“Hey!” He turned to glare at Yixing, but he only felt a finger pushing his face back to the front.

“Keep your eyes on the road!”

“They’re on the road,” Sehun said, glaring at the front. “Why did you do that? Turn it back on!”

“No. I refuse to listen to that.”

“Change the channel, then. But turn it on.”

Sehun saw from the corner of his eye how Yixing reached the touch-screen. Channel after channel, he heard how none of them convinced Yixing enough. But then, the melodious sound of a piano flooded the car and Sehun couldn’t help but frown.

“I said turn the music on.”

Yixing huffed. “That, dumbass, _is_ music.”

Sehun was well aware of it. Of course it was music, but he didn’t want to listen to some Mozart or Beethoven or Bach or whoever it was as he drove. It relaxed him more than necessary and he always ended up falling asleep. He couldn’t afford falling asleep. Not if he wanted to get to Okayama alive.

“Thanks for the information,” he said. “Now change the channel.”

“I’m not gonna do that. Art should be appreciated.”

“Isn’t Whiz Khalifa’s music art?”

“It’s the kind of art we’re not appreciating today.”

Sehun groaned and his glare at the front intensified. “Just change the channel!”

“It’s common knowledge that the person who navigates gets to choose the music,” Yixing said. “The person navigating this car chooses Chopin.”

“But I don’t want to listen to that!”

“Oh, wow,” Yixing deadpanned, using his sarcastic tone. A tone that he used specifically with Sehun. “I just realized that I don’t care.”

Sehun gripped the wheel and jutted his chin out. Could that idiot get more annoying? He could only blame himself for it. Nobody had forced him to agree to come. He had got himself into this and now these were his consequences. He shouldn’t be surprised. His relationship with Yixing had never been good. He only had to go back to their very first encounter to know how all this would end.

He still remembered that day as though it had been yesterday. It all started backstage before his first competition. He was waiting for his call in the hut at the starting area with Chanyeol’s dad—his trainer back then—as well as the other competitors, their respective trainers, and the start officials. He was excited, and nervous, and overwhelmed, and happy, because _fucking hell,_ it was his first official competition. And an international one, at that. With only 18 years old, he had made it into the International Ski Federation—or FIS for its acronym in French. Now he was about to compete with snowboarders he had admired _for years._ That had been more pressure than any teenager should ever deal with in their life.

So yeah, he was stressed.

This led him to wander around like a lost puppy, attracting some of the other competitors’ attention—including Zhang Yixing's.

He would never forget the moment his eyes landed on Yixing. He looked so regal, elegant, and perfect. Cladded in his red, fluffy jacket. Holding in one hand his red helmet with its five respective yellow stars. He couldn’t believe they were standing on the same starting area. And even less that Yixing was walking towards him.

“So you’re the never-ever,” Yixing told him once he was standing in front of him.

Sehun had only managed to nod. His mouth had gone dry and his brain had stopped working. Because that guy right there, was Zhang Yixing.

Zhang Yixing, the best snowboarder in the League.

Zhang Yixing, the snowboarder he admired the most.

Zhang Yixing, _his fucking idol._

“Nice to meet you,” Yixing said, offering him the most gorgeous smile Sehun had ever seen. “I’m Zhang Yixing.”

Sehun had been able only to stare like a dumb. Yixing had stared back, though, looking completely curious. Focused. As though he didn't want to lose any detail on Sehun's face.

“It’s not as bad as it seems, you know?” Yixing eventually said, offering a smaller, kinder smile. “You’ll get used to it.” Catching sight of Sehun’s helmet and goggles, he placed his own between his legs and took Sehun’s. He looked at them for a long time, with as much intent as he had with Sehun. When he handed them back, he only nodded. “Good luck, never-ever.”

And then he walked back to stand next to a tall guy—later Sehun learned his name was Yifan—without realizing he had left him feeling like an idiot. That had been his opportunity to interact with Yixing and he had let it pass. He surely wanted to berate himself for it, but he didn’t have time for that. The officials gave the call to start and he had to forget his embarrassment to put himself to work.

He didn't really remember much after that. He only knew that suddenly he was standing on his board at the starting ramp, then he was sliding down the slopes. A few meters into the race, the strap of his goggles loosened, leaving them misplaced on his face. Preventing him from seeing and leading him to lose.

After the race, he had gone straight to the hut and asked his team to leave him alone. He was livid. He couldn't believe he had lost because of a pair of misplaced goggles. Everything had been fine before the competition. He had trained hard and hadn't had any problem. So it made no sense for him. He stayed there for a long, long time. So long that everyone was gone by the moment a wave of laughter, claps and cheers burst into the hut. Turning to glare at them, Sehun realized they were Yixing and his team. They were celebrating because Yixing had won— _of course he had._

And then it all _made_ sense.

His goggles had been completely fine before the race. That was, until Yixing held them. His logic was telling him that he had forgotten to secure them properly to his helmet, so it had been his fault and only his. But his anger was telling him that Yixing had done something to them with the intention of sabotage him. Of course immature, 18-year-old Sehun had believed his angered side.

When Yixing caught sight of him, he asked his team to leave for a moment. Once they were alone, the smile he offered him was so wide that it only caused Sehun to get even angrier.

“That wasn’t bad for a first time,” Yixing said and Sehun couldn't help but scowl at him.

“What did you do to my goggles?”

Yixing stared at him dumbfounded, with his mouth agape. “Excuse me?”

“What did you do to my fucking goggles?” Sehun repeated. “The strap loosened and I couldn’t see anything. They were fine before you took them.”

“What are you talking about?” Yixing frowned and then realization hit him. “Do you think I did something to them?”

The moment Sehun chose not to reply was the moment when everything went down to hell.

“What the fuck, Oh! I didn't do anything! Why would I? You're the newbie. I would never waste my time trying to sabotage you.”

He flared his hands around and his face was red. There was a vein popping out on his forehead and his breathing was heavy. Yixing was furious. That was when Sehun learned that interacting with a furious Yixing meant receiving the lowest blows in the form of spiteful words.

“You've barely grown out of puberty. You're only a kid playing professional snowboarder. I'm pretty sure you forgot to secure them, so learn how to do your damn job and don't come at me blaming me about your fucking mistakes.

“You should better go home and tell mommy and daddy to teach you how to be a good loser, because you’re going to need it. This is the first loss of many more to come. And trust me, I'll make sure that that first place will never be yours.”

And that had been basically it.

It had been, to say the least, disastrous.

Once Sehun had a cool head, he realized how immature and ridiculous he had been. So he had tried to fix it. On their next competition together, he had tried to apologize, but Yixing didn't listen. He only curled his lip and scrunched his nose, making what Sehun now called his smelling-poop face.

Of course that made anger come back at him in crashing waves. It had taken a lot of courage from him to put his dignity aside and apologize. Yet the bastard had decided that Sehun wasn’t worth his time. It had been a huge disappointment. His idol was no longer his idol but the guy he spited the most.

It wasn't long after that that he improved his techniques, being the only one who could keep up with Yixing on the slopes. This led people to give them the title of sporting rivals. Then, when their interactions became part of the public eye, everyone believed that their rivalry had jumped from the slopes to real life. And how couldn't people think so? Whenever Sehun and Yixing were together, they glared, and insulted, and growled at each other. Like a pair of animals fighting. It was embarrassing, honestly, but Sehun couldn't help it—and he was sure Yixing couldn't either.

The rest was history.

Now they were stuck together, listening to damn Chopin. If someone would've ever told him that one day they would be in their current situation, Sehun would've laughed at them. Because there was no way that it could ever be true. But life was full of surprises, wasn't it? Chanyeol wouldn't believe it.

As if on cue, Sehun's phone rang. Without thinking, he accepted the call. Anything to cut the tragic piano music.

 _“Where are you?”_ Chanyeol's voice flooded the car.

“Hello to you, too, baby,” Sehun said, rolling his eyes. “I’m on my way.”

_“Oh! That's great news— wait. Have the airlines restarted their activities?”_

Ah… yeah. Small detail. He hadn’t told Chanyeol, had he? The guy thought he was still at the airport. Right. Cool. How was he going to explain… _this_ to him?

“Uhm…” Sehun cleared his throat and straightened on his seat. “I don't know.”

 _“I'm not understanding.”_ Chanyeol’s voice was confused, and rightly so. He should’ve told him before doing anything. Fuck.

“I… I rented a car?”

_“You what?”_

“I rented a car.”

_“Please tell me you're not planning to come all the way from Fukuoka on a fucking car.”_

“It's actually a SUV—”

 _“You've got to be kidding me!”_ Chanyeol exclaimed, making Sehun jump. This car had an amazing sound system, indeed. _”Who cares about the car, Sehun! That's the stupidest idea I've ever heard!”_

Thank you! Finally someone who agreed with him!

“That's what I said!”

Next to him, Yixing groaned.

 _“Wait, what was that?”_ Chanyeol asked and Sehun widened his eyes. _”Who are you with?”_

“I'm… Uh…”

Sehun cleared his throat again. He didn't want to tell him. This was weird and unexplainable. There was no logical way to make his current situation sound… well, logical. But Chanyeol already knew he was with someone, so he might as well get it over with. Dammit.

“Imwithzhangyixing,” he blurted out.

_“Hey, slow down! I didn't understand.”_

Taking a deep breath, Sehun slowly repeated, “I'm with Zhang Yixing.”

There was silence on the other side of the line. Had the call ended? Giving a quick glance at the screen, Sehun saw it was still going. Had Chanyeol fainted or something?

“Yeol? Are you there?”

“Maybe he died,” Yixing quipped and Chanyeol went back to life.

_“What the hell are you doing there, Zhang?!”_

“Hello to you, too, baby,” Yixing said, imitating Sehun's greeting. “Why did you leave your kid alone? I found him crying at the airport, this poor little bub.”

Sehun glared at him. Yixing snapped his fingers and pointed at the front.

_“Turn off the speaker, Sehun.”_

“Uh…” Sehun glanced at Yixing briefly again. “Could you…”

Yixing rolled his eyes, but did turn the speaker mode off and handed him his phone.

“What?” Sehun said once he had the device in his ear.

_“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?! Are you crazy?!”_

“Probably.”

 _“I know you’re a dumbass, but this is, by far, the worst idea you’ve ever had.”_ Chanyeol was walking around. His steps echoed through the phone. _”Please tell me it wasn’t your idea. Was it yours?”_

“It wasn’t.”

_“God, I thought Yixing was smarter.”_

“Yeah, me too.”

 _“I thought_ you _were smarter.”_

Sehun sighed. “Yeah, me too.”

 _“Is it even safe?”_ Chanyeol asked. _”To travel with Yixing, I mean.”_

Sehun gave Yixing a quick glance. The guy had his elbow on the car’s windowsill, his head leaned on the palm of his hand. He looked calm and bored. Like a normal person having a road trip. In any other circumstances, Sehun would’ve even said that he looked like a nice guy. He knew better than that, of course.

“Yeah, he’s tame,” he finally said. He saw from the corner of his eye how Yixing shoved his middle finger at him.

 _“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”_ Chanyeol chuckled. _”Listen, don't be a fucking idiot, alright? Keep things at bay with Zhang. And keep me updated, too. Except if you get over that unresolved sexual tension between you two. That’s something I don’t want to be updated about.”_

Sehun choked on nothing.

He hated when Chanyeol did that. The guy loved to joke about some sort of sexual tension existing between Yixing and him just to get on his nerves. It was annoying. Because there was _no_ such thing going on between them. Never had, never will. Their relationship was based on pure hatred and nothing else.

The line died before he even had time to recover and he handed Yixing the phone back.

Why did everyone hang him up?

“What a lovely guy,” Yixing said after a while. “Excluding me from the convo was shitty from him, but he’s lovely, nonetheless.”

He was being sarcastic and Sehun wanted to give him his ugliest glare. He didn’t. He didn’t want to risk a glance at Yixing. He was uncomfortable now. Chanyeol had left him uncomfortable.

“Shut up,” he said, instead.

“Aww, are you upset? Did Yeollie scold you?” Yixing cooed again when Sehun didn’t say anything. “Don’t worry, baby Hun. Everything’s going to be fine. I got you.”

Yixing reached to pat him on the head and Sehun moved to dodge his hand.

He took in a deep breath and tried to focus again—the faster he recovered, the sooner he would get them to their destination. Thus the faster he got them to their destination, the sooner he would put some distance between the annoying asshole and himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does anyone think that Sehun and Yixing are a pair of dumb boys? Bc I do. They're annoying, aren't they?? Let's hope they won't kill each other before I get to post more chapters... :)))))
> 
> Anyway haha thanks for reading! ♥


	3. Chapter 3

_“Continue straight on Sanyo Expressway.”_

They had been on the road for almost five hours. The sky had long since gone dark and there weren’t as much cars as before. The weather was still fine, though. Save for the winter wind that was blowing as strong as before, nothing else had changed—which was expected; it was winter after all.

_“Continue straight on Sanyo Expressway.”_

Right. He should continue straight on Sanyo Expressway. Thank you.

Sehun tried hard not to cringe. They had heard that same phrase for over half an hour and it seemed like it wasn’t going to change any time soon. It was beginning to stress him out.

_“Continue straight on Sanyo Expressway.”_

It was like, _‘Okay, Google Maps’ lady! We get it. You’ve driven your point home. Could you shut up now until you have something different to say? Because you’re seriously being annoying.’_

He wanted to turn that damn navigation system off.

_“Continue straight on Sanyo Expressway.”_

“If she doesn't shut up, I'm going to jump out the window.”

Sehun looked at Yixing with his eyebrows raised. None of them had spoken again after Chanyeol's call, and that had been hours ago. Listening to Yixing's voice now was settling; soothing, even—not that he would admit it out loud.

He focused on what Yixing had said, instead.

“Are you for real? Would you really jump?” he asked, looking at Yixing. He received a roll of eyes in return.

“I'll turn her off.”

“Don’t!”

“Why not? You can’t deny she’s getting on your nerves.”

She was, but they needed the GPS. _He_ needed the GPS. Otherwise he would lose track of where they were and that wasn’t part of the plan. He wanted to get to the hotel already. It was getting late and he wanted to sleep.

He told Yixing this and the other only huffed.

“We don’t need her. We can do it manually.” Yixing extended his arm and turned the navigation system off. “How hard could it be, anyway? I'm sure I can do her job and be less annoying.”

“I doubt it,” Sehun muttered.

“Just continue straight on Sanyo Expressway,” Yixing said, imitating the lady’s voice. He fumbled with Sehun’s phone and then put it down, resting his hands on his lap.

Chopin—or maybe some other guy, Sehun didn’t know—was still playing. It had been, surprisingly enough, quite relaxing. It had his mind going in and out his own memories, keeping him distracted enough not to fall asleep.

The constant sound of the piano made him go back to a particular memory that had happened four or five years ago. It had been in one of the after parties thrown to celebrate the ending of the Winter Tournament. Those were always held at hotels and a lot of people assisted. While the attention was sometimes welcomed, Sehun wasn’t fond of interacting with that many people for so long. This led him to keep himself away at every party so he could be alone, even if just for a few minutes.

That night, he walked away to find a quiet place like he always did. The hotel was alone, only for party guests to use, and as far as he knew, he was the only one of them exploring it. So when he heard the soft sound of a piano playing, he couldn’t help following it to discover where it was coming from. To say he had been surprised to find Yixing sitting in front of the piano at the hotel’s restaurant was an understatement. The room was dark, with only the faint moonlight coming through the large windows. The melody was nostalgic, almost sad, and yet it was one of the most beautiful things Sehun had ever heard in his life.

Yixing had talent for it, he could accept that without any problem. That was a side he hadn’t known that existed and for some weird reason, he liked it. It made Yixing seem more like a normal person and less of a jerk. He stayed there, listening from afar, waiting to relax enough to go back to the party. When he was ready for it, he left without telling Yixing a single word.

Up to this day, he still didn’t know why he had decided not to. It was probably because Yixing had looked so calm and focused. Sehun hadn't wanted to ruin that. Doing so would’ve meant to start a fight and he had no need to deal with that. So he had walked away, without letting Yixing know he had seen him. He would most likely never let him know, in fact. But even after all these years, it was something that he found himself thinking about very often.

“Are you listening?”

A shove of his shoulder brought him back to reality. Yixing was frowning at him.

“What?”

“I’m telling you that you have to turn right at the traffic light that’s over there.”

Yixing pointed his finger at the front and Sehun tried to follow the same direction with his eyes. He found the traffic light three streets ahead or so.

“Keep going straight,” Yixing said once they had turned right. “It’s down… ten streets? Then you should turn left according to this thing. I’ll tell you when we’re almost there.”

Sehun did as he was told. Everything was going fine, until he had to stop behind a long line of vehicles. They weren't moving, even if some of the traffic lights ahead were green.

“What's going on?”

Yixing was frowning down at the phone. “I don't know. But the map looks different now.”

Sehun raised an eyebrow. What did he mean?

“Let me take a look,” he said, taking his phone back. He frowned when he saw what 'different' meant. “Yixing, the road is red.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Sehun gaped at him. This wasn't happening, was it? This had to be a joke.

“You're kidding, right?” he said. Yixing looked as confused as before, so nope. He wasn't kidding. Oh, hell. “Red means that there's traffic, you idiot!”

Yixing had the guts to look offended. “I didn't know that, _you_ idiot!”

“ _You didn't know that?_ It’s fucking Google Maps!”

“So what? I had never used it before!”

“What does that even mean?!”

Yixing was scowling, but it was evident that he was uncomfortable. He had retreated slightly in his seat, and had crossed his arms now. “Don't be stupid. It means that I've never used Google Maps, obviously.”

“Why have you never— _What?”_ Sehun was confused. Something was not checking. “How come is that even true?! Do you really know how to drive?”

Yixing's frown deepened. “What the hell are you on about? Of course I know! I brought the car to the front of the airport in case you already forgot it.”

“Then how is it that you don't know how to use a GPS?”

Groaning, Yixing leaned his head on the window, completely avoiding any type of visual contact. “Let it go, would you?”

That was something that Sehun wasn't going to do. When he had asked him at the restaurant why he couldn't drive, Yixing had said the shit about Chinese permits. While it was true that his permit didn't work there, Sehun was sure that that hadn't been the only reason. Because now that he thought about it, back at the restaurant Yixing hadn’t even looked at him. Sehun had interacted with him long enough to know that whenever Yixing avoided eye contact, it was because he was uncomfortable with whatever was being talked about. He had eight years of experience that supported this knowledge. So following that train of thought, he didn't have a doubt that Yixing was hiding something.

“No, I won't let it go,” he said. “Tell me what you're hiding!”

“Goddammit, Sehun!” And so Yixing's rant began. “I don't know how a GPS works because I've never had to use it, alright? Someone always takes me everywhere I have to go. Hell, I've barely driven my own car! The only times I was behind the wheel, were when I learned to drive. And I did it going around a few blocks back in Changsha. I've never driven long distances by myself, so driving from one side of Japan to the other was completely out of the limits. That's why I asked you to drive. I don't trust myself with getting us alive to Niseko! Is that easy enough for you to understand or do you want me to explain it to you step by step?” He slumped back on his seat, glaring at Sehun. _”Jesus.”_

For how long had Yixing been suppressing all that… frustration? Sehun was impressed. It was as though Yixing had finally found the chance to get that out of his chest. He normally would've snapped back at the guy for lashing on him, but for some reason he felt like giving him a minute.

He looked away and stared at the back of the red car in front of them, resting his head on the back of the seat.

“Whatever,” he said just to antagonize him and keep themselves on character. “You still got us stuck on a traffic jam.”

“This isn’t my fault!” Yixing exclaimed, crossing his arms again. “I was only following that annoying lady’s route!”

“We could’ve followed another route, but we didn't, because you don't know how a GPS works. So excuse me for thinking this is your fault.”

“You can’t blame me with that! I told you I was crap with directions and you didn’t care!”

That wasn’t the same. That was absolutely _not_ the same. One thing was to be crap with directions and another was not to know how to use a GPS. They weren’t necessarily correlated. _They were not the same._ But he wasn’t going to argue this. The other was stubborn as hell when he thought he was right, even if he obviously wasn’t. There was no point in even trying.

“It doesn't matter now, does it?” Sehun said, rolling his eyes. “Because we're stuck here and there's nothing we can do about it.”

“Oh, shut up. You can look for another route on that stupid GPS.”

“No. I can’t and I won’t.”

Yixing groaned and waved his hand at him. “Suit yourself, then.”

They didn’t speak after that.

They drove on the tensest silence that had ever existed. Though Sehun knew better than breaking it. Whenever they were like this, the simplest of things made them explode, ending with both screaming nonsense at each other. He didn’t want to keep on fighting. He was tired. He had had enough for the day, so the tense silence was their most suitable option.

At some point he got annoyed at the music, so he turned it off. Yixing glared at him, but didn’t say anything.

Glancing at the hour on the screen, Sehun realized it was almost 11pm. It was petty, childish, and completely unnecessary to keep moving painfully slow along with the traffic. He knew it. It was getting late and at this rate, they would never make it. He should really look for another route, but he was still annoyed at Yixing. He had got them into this, so he would have to deal with it. He didn’t care if he had to suffer the consequences as well.

Finally, after one and a half eternal and boring hour, they made it out of that nightmare. Apparently, one of the traffic lights stopped working, causing a pile-up. There was only one lane open to drive, hence the congestion.

When the hotel entered his field of vision, Sehun felt some of the stress leaving his body. The building was tall, with large windows all over it. It had no visible concrete walls, giving it an elegant look. He followed the way to the main entrance and stopped once they were in front of it.

“You should go check the rooms,” he said, unfastening his belt and reaching his backpack. “I'll see where we need to leave the car.”

Yixing unfastened his belt, too, took his backpack and got off the car, without muttering a single word.

They took their suitcases out from the trunk and as Yixing walked in the hotel’s lobby, Sehun turned to look at the hotel’s valet. The guy had already approached and was waiting next to the car.

He bowed, greeting him. The guy returned the gesture and said something, pointing at the car. Sehun, of course, didn’t understand him. He should've told Yixing to wait so he could at least try to speak in English with the man. Not having better options, he took out his phone and searched a Korean-Japanese translator.

He typed, _'Good night. I'm Oh Sehun and I don't speak Japanese. Could you please tell me what I have to do with the car?'_

He didn't know if that was what it said in Japanese, but he could only hope it was understandable enough for the valet. The guy looked puzzled when he offered him the phone, but still took it and read.

 _'Did you book a room?'_ the valet typed as a reply.

Sehun nodded, amazed that this weird technique had worked. He should've come up with this idea way earlier.

_‘You need check-in. You give me your keys and I park it somewhere the parking lot entrance. Once you got a room, staff let me know the car respective lot.’_

Sehun tried not to cringe. Stupid translator phrasing everything wrong. He had understood, anyway, so nodding again, he handed the keys to the valet. Taking his suitcase, he followed Yixing's way and entered the hotel.

The lobby was simple. It had beige and yellow tiles on the floor. A few white tables and chairs arranged at the sides. A red-cherry rug placed at the white, large front desk. Yixing was standing there, talking to the receptionist—or more like scolding her. Probably. He was waving his hands around and though he was speaking in English, guessing by his tone of voice, he was angry. What the hell was happening now?

“Hey,” he said once he was next to him. “Do you already have the number to our rooms?”

Yixing stopped amid sentence to look at him. He was frowning and he had a crazy touch to his eyes. They were wide, unfocused. Sehun knew this look. Whatever Yixing had planned, it had gone wrong. Very, very wrong. Sehun wouldn't worry, though. Yixing loved to overreact, so maybe he was arguing about something ridiculous. Like silk sheets or a larger TV.

“I’m working on that,” Yixing said, his frown going deeper. “Why do you need them for?”

“To park the car.”

“Can it wait?”

“I guess? I don’t know.” Sehun glanced at the receptionist. She had her lips pressed together and was fiddling with her fingers. She was nervous, without a doubt—and fairly so. Yixing could be scary when he was angry.

Yixing turned back to her. He retook his anxious ramble, but the woman only shook her head, telling him she was sorry—that was something Sehun _could_ understand. Though he didn’t get the reason why and a weird feeling settled on his stomach.

“What's going on?”

“Nothing,” Yixing said and immediately continued rambling in English.

“Something’s clearly going on.”

The woman kept on apologizing, adding something about ‘no more rooms’, ‘no change’, ‘comfortable room’ and 'two people'. Or so Sehun understood. What did she mean with that? He eyed suspiciously at Yixing, then at the woman, then back at Yixing. The latter was drumming his fingers on the desk and his foot was tapping the floor. He was clearly distressed.

“Yixing, what’s—”

“Could you please stop?” Yixing finally snapped. “I’m trying to fix this shit, so please. Just. Give me. A second.”

The poor receptionist jumped, but Sehun stayed unfazed. He had been in this situation way too many times before. He was used to it. This kind of reactions didn't have any impression on him anymore. He pitied the woman for witnessing such a shitty spectacle, though.

Yixing tried once again, but it was to no avail. The receptionist eventually decided she didn’t want to keep on arguing with him. So placing a key in front of him, she offered him a small, almost apologetic, smile. Yixing stared at it for a couple of seconds before making a sound under his breath similar to a whine. He lowered his head until he touched the desk and hit it softly against it, over and over again.

“This can’t be happening. Not to me,” he muttered in Chinese, and that was Sehun’s cue to confirm that something had gone wrong.

Normally, Yixing didn’t speak in Chinese if he was with someone who didn’t share his nationality. He did it to make sure the other person could understand, which was very considerate, if Sehun had to be honest. But when Yixing was distressed, he unconsciously began speaking in Chinese, no matter who he was with.

Sehun wasn't sure _why_ he even knew this about Yixing, but he didn’t go deeper into it. He had more important issues going on.

“Yixing.”

The guy ignored him. He was still hitting his head like a dramatic kid, berating himself for whatever was going on.

The bellhop then appeared and placed their suitcases in a cart. As fast as that, he disappeared down the aisle, so Sehun guessed he was taking them to their rooms.

He looked back to his main concern.

“Hey, what happened?”

Yixing stopped hitting his head and straightened, pushing the key towards him. _”This_ happened.”

Sehun stared at it—room no. 63. He didn’t see anything wrong with it, but he had to be missing something. Yixing was almost throwing a tantrum for it, so it had to be serious. Or maybe not. He couldn’t tell. He was tired and hungry. He only wanted to get to his room, eat something quick, maybe take a shower, and crash on his bed until tomorrow. He only needed to take his key and— _wait a moment._ On the counter was only _one_ key. Did this mean that…

“Please tell me we’re not sharing room,” he muttered, almost whispered.

“Surprise…” Yixing said in a sing-song tone.

Sehun closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. He wouldn't start a fight. He was a civilized person. He would act as such.

“Why do we have only one room?” he asked as calm as he could.

“Before you start screaming at me, it was an accident, alright?” Yixing took one hand to his face and rubbed it. “But I booked one room instead of two.”

He booked one— Okay _._ Okay. Yeah. That was… _pff_. Alright. He wasn't going to scream. There was definitely no need to start a fight. He could get his answers like the civilized person he was. Civilized. Person. He was a civilized person.

“Let's get another room, then.”

“We can’t,” Yixing said, scrunching his face. “There are no more rooms available. Apparently people who were around preferred to stay here than run into the snowstorm. We got ours by pure luck.”

Sehun looked up to the ceiling and held his breath.

So they were going to share a room. Fine. He got it. He was certainly not excited with the idea. That had to be the worst thing that had happened to him during the day, besides the diverted flight. But at least they had a room. That, and also, it wasn't like they were staying for a month. They surely could handle being roommates for a few hours. It would be alright.

“It’s just one night,” he said. “I think we can deal with sharing a room for just one night.”

Yixing huffed and turned around, walking towards the elevator. “Just wait until you see the room.”

What did that even mean? Sehun didn't really want to ask. So he followed him, keeping his doubts to himself. Maybe he had been right and there were no silk sheets or a large TV, indeed. He couldn't care less. He only wanted the room to sleep.

They got in the elevator in silence.

He knew Yixing was angry, and honestly, he was, too. But it was fine. Mistakes happened. As perfect as Yixing seemed, he was a human being, too—even if he didn't behave as such—so it was valid if he made some mistakes from time to time. Like getting them stuck in traffic. Or booking them one room. _But_ _it was fine._ Really. They could handle this like the adults they were. There were no more rooms, anyway. They couldn't change that. So the least they could do was to remain positive and optimistic. They had a bed to sleep and walls to protect themselves from the cold. Tomorrow they would be back on the road and they'll get to Niseko in no time.

It was fine.

As long as they made it out of this alive, everything would be perfectly fine.

The elevator reached their floor and the doors opened. Walking along the hall, he followed Yixing until he stopped in front of their room.

“You have the key,” Yixing said, staring at the floor.

Sehun introduced the key. He opened the door, turned the lights on, walked into the room and— _oh._

It was small. To the right were a small desk and a shelf with a TV. The bathroom and a small dresser were behind a wall to the left. It had three windows with the curtains held, so they could see the city. Their suitcases were already there, next to the door. It was a nice room. Enough for them to stay the night.

Except there was a problem.

There, under the windows, was the bed. It was huge. Queen size, probably. A bunch of people could fit in there. And it looked nice, but it… was… _one…_

Only.

One.

Bed.

Sehun stayed rooted on his spot and Yixing pushed him to walk past him. That took him out of his shock.

“There’s only one bed,” he stated as a matter of fact.

“Congratulations. You have a pair of functional eyes,” Yixing deadpanned as he placed his backpack on the small couch at the foot of the bed.

“We’re two people.”

“And there are three windows. Your turn. Next number is four.”

“Yixing,” Sehun said, holding the doorknob for dear life. “There must be a mistake.”

“There’s not.”

“What do you mean there’s not? There’s clearly a huge problem here!”

“There’s a problem, yes! But there’s no mistake!” Yixing threw his jacket on the couch and faced him. “I thought I had booked two rooms, but I booked _one_ room for _two_ people with only _one_ bed. So yeah, I fucked it up. _I know.”_

“What the hell, Zhang?!” Sehun stepped in, slamming the door behind him. “How did that even happen?!”

“I was distracted, okay?!”

“You were distracted?” Sehun repeated, incredulous. “What could've possibly got you so distracted? Because as far as I remember, you were booking while I tried to discover what the touch-screen did. I don’t see where the distraction was.”

Yixing looked taken aback. He gaped for a moment before schooling his face. “I don’t know. It just happened. I’m sorry, alright?”

“Telling me you're sorry doesn't fix this!” Sehun flared his arms around, signaling the room. “First the traffic, now this! Was this your plan all along? To annoy the hell out of me? To torture me before the competition?”

Okay, so that was completely ridiculous and dramatic. Sehun knew that. In his defense, though, he was having a breakdown. His day couldn't be shittier and he wanted to find a responsible for it. That person happened to be Zhang Yixing.

“Oh, here we go again! I don’t want to hear that shit again.” Taking his suitcase, Yixing turned around, heading towards the bathroom. He slammed the door, leaving him standing in the middle of the room like an idiot.

Sehun stared at the door for a moment before taking off his backpack and throwing it on the floor. Not content with that, he took off his jacket, made a ball with it and threw it next to the backpack.

Fuck the positivism and optimism. He didn’t want to handle this like an adult. He was so done with this trip.

He dropped into the couch and placed his elbows on his knees. Rubbing his face, he tried to calm down. He was sure this had to be some sort of joke. It was all so horrible. And he didn’t deserve it. He was a good person, so why was this happening to him?

Wait. No. Scratch that.

The real question was—why, from all people, was he living this shit with Yixing?

Why couldn’t fate got him stuck with Kim Jongin, for example? Or Kim Jongdae? Or Kim Junmyeon? He liked the Kims. They were nice, and chatty, and funny. Or with Luhan? He was cool and he liked him, too. Or with Nakamoto Yuta? Or Qian Kun? Or that Chittaphon guy? He liked them all. They were amazing guys, the seven of them! And they were, by far, better company than stupid Zhang Yixing.

Stupid Zhang Yixing, with his arrogant comments, and perfect looks, and shiny, dimpled smiles directed at everyone but him. He was so annoying. And his fucking rival. How was he supposed to mentally prepare himself to beat Yixing if he had him there?

This wasn't fair.

But he couldn't do anything. He had to face his reality like a big boy. So giving up his internal fight, he sighed, long and dejected, and stood up. He took out his toothbrush from his backpack and placed it on the bed. Then he reached his suitcase and opened it on the floor. He considered taking a shower, but God knew how long Yixing would be in the bathroom. With a little bit of luck, maybe he would end up falling asleep in there.

Going against his desire to go to bed clean, he took out a pair of gray sweatpants and a loose white shirt, and changed his clothes. He did it fast so that Yixing wouldn’t find him half-starkers if he came out soon. Sure thing, he was closing his suitcase when the bathroom door opened.

As Yixing placed his suitcase on the dresser, Sehun noticed that he had changed his clothes, too. He was cladded all in black. His sweatpants weren’t tight or loose. They fitted perfectly, as though they were tailor-made—he wouldn’t doubt they were. His shirt, on the other hand, was loose. Way too loose. So loose that his collarbones were exposed.

That was… a lot of skin.

Or not. In fact it wasn’t. Like, at all. But he wasn’t used to see that much of Yixing’s skin. He almost always saw him wearing his snowboarding clothes. And when they weren’t on the slopes, Yixing used to wear less… _revealing_ clothes. Not that his shirt was revealing, but… well. Never mind. He didn’t know what he was thinking.

Conscious that he was staring, he moved his suitcase to the dresser and got in the bathroom so he could brush his teeth, as planned.

“Listen,” Yixing said. He was standing now next to the bed. Sehun could see him through the sink mirror. “I know this is a very… Let’s say unfortunate event. But we’re adults and we should handle this as such.”

“What do you propose, then?”

“As much as I hate the idea, you can’t deny that the bed is wide enough—”

“Absolutely not.”

“Do you have anything better to offer?”

Sehun ignored him. He proceeded to brush his teeth and took his time to do it. Once he was done, he got out of the bathroom and placed the toothbrush back to his backpack.

Yixing was still standing next to the bed, looking intently at him. Waiting.

He knew Yixing was right. The two of them could fit without a problem in the bed, but there was no way in Heaven, Hell or Earth for him to accept such a thing. Nope. Never. He preferred to die before sleeping on the same bed as him.

“You can take the couch,” he eventually said.

Yixing frowned. “I won’t sleep on the couch.”

“You can use the floor, then.”

“ _Sehun._ The bed is wide enough for the two of us! I'm literally letting you sleep on _my_ bed.”

“The hell is your bed! The one who should be claiming it is _me.”_ Sehun pointed at the bed. “I should be the one sleeping on it. I drove for hours trying to put up with your shit. I deserve it more than you.”

“Based on what are you deciding that? Let me remind you that you’re not charming, either.”

“Who cares about charm? I was the one driving. I need the bed more than you.”

Yixing shook his head and crossed his arms. “You’re being unreasonable.”

“You’re just not understanding my reasons.”

“You have no reasons! You’re only being a brat!”

“Think whatever you want, I don’t care. I won’t sleep in the same bed as you.”

“Then perish on the floor,” Yixing said, and without giving Sehun any chance to react, he threw himself on the bed.

“Yixing, no!”

That mattress had to be super comfy, because Yixing bounced when he landed. He pulled the covers and got under them, curling up like a big baby.

Sehun stood at the couch, frowning down at the lump on the bed. “Get out of it!”

“Good night, moron.”

Sehun gaped at him.

He couldn’t believe this shit! _We’re adults and we should handle this as such,_ his ass! Fucking Yixing and his stupid dirty way of doing things. But if he thought he had won, he was very much mistaken. Two could play the same game.

Stomping his feet as hard as he could, he reached the switch at the door and turned the lights off. He stomped back to the bed, praying he wouldn't trip, and went around it until he was on the side opposite to Yixing.

This had to be the most random and least thought decision of his life, but Sehun didn’t care. He wouldn’t let Yixing get away with it. He wasn’t going to be the one sleeping on the couch. Or the floor. He deserved to sleep on the bed and that was exactly what he was going to do.

So without thinking about it, and moving the mattress as much as he could, he got in the bed, too.

“It wasn’t that hard, was it?” Yixing muttered. He was lying on his side, with his back to Sehun.

Glaring at him, Sehun showed him his middle fingers, even if Yixing wasn't looking. He wished he had more middle fingers. Two weren’t enough. Sighing exaggeratedly to disturb him even more, he turned around, facing the other wall. They hadn’t closed the curtains, so Okayama’s night lights were slightly illuminating the room. Kind of. The windows were foggy, so there wasn't much light coming in. It had to be freezing out there.

That was something he could be thankful for, at least. They weren't freezing to death somewhere out there.

He couldn’t help being mad, though. He was so done with Yixing; even more than he was with the trip itself. The guy was so fucking frustrating. Thinking he could do as he pleased, as though he were some sort of ridiculous king. Had he already mentioned that he couldn’t stand him? Because he couldn’t. He hated him. So, so much.

He made sure to leave a huge distance between them. He didn’t want to have him near. He had gone over the board with giving in his bed, so the least he deserved was not to feel his presence there. This way, he could at least pretend Yixing wasn’t there.

Which honestly, was a tough task.

Because Sehun always noted Yixing’s presence. Wherever they were, wherever they went. The man always made Sehun turn his head in his direction, even if he didn’t intend to—even if he didn’t _want to._ It didn’t matter whether it was to glare at him or to start a fight. Yixing was always in his field of vision and it was horrible.

That was why he couldn’t wait to get to Niseko. Only God knew what could happen if they stayed together any longer, and Sehun didn’t want to be the one to discover it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that was chapter 3, ladies and gentlemen! 
> 
> Was it cliché? Absolutely.
> 
> Do we love clichés, tho? Absolutely.
> 
> What can I say? The 'there was only one bed' trope is always amazing, even though we know how those go most of the time (that's not a spoiler, btw).
> 
> But yes, this was it for now. Let's wait for Sehun and Yixing to wake up and see what happens next... Haha thank you so much for reading! Have a nice day/night! ♥(:


	4. Chapter 4

**December 11th, 2019**

_3 days before the competition_

Everything was warm and soft… and bright. Super bright.

Sehun squinted and covered his face with one hand, but it didn't work. The light kept coming through his fingers. He was still very much asleep, yet he was conscious enough not to want to have the light on his face.

Without opening his eyes, he arranged the covers above his head and tried to go back to sleep.

What time was it?

Was it late?

No, who cared.

He wanted to sleep. He should go back to do that.

He was starving, though.

And he was more conscious than asleep now.

_Great…_

He stirred and stretched a little bit. He pulled the covers down to his nose, so he could see. His eyes were still heavy with sleep, so they remained half-lidded. That didn't prevent him from confirming that the room was bright. Not sun-bathed bright, but day-like bright.

 _Seriously,_ what time was it?

He blinked a few times, adjusting his focus. He stirred again and then he saw it.

Yixing was facing him. He was still lying on his side. His breathing even and slow. He was still asleep.

Sehun was used to see him curling his lip, rolling his eyes, scrunching his nose up, and looking completely annoyed. A guy full of sarcasm, offensive comebacks, smart insults, and exasperated sighs. All pale skin and perfectly chiseled face. Droopy eyes on a normal basis, but piercing gaze on the slopes. Dimpled smiles and plump lips. Amazing neck, well-defined torso, and one-hundred-percent-muscled legs, the bastard.

Right now, though, even if all those physical features were still there, he simply looked calm. With his face buried on his pillow, a few dark curls matted on his forehead, and his mouth slightly open. The light coming through the windows illuminating his face from above. Giving his hair a shine that made it look soft to the touch.

Yixing himself looked soft.

And for Sehun, that was new.

And weird.

Something fluttered in his stomach and he frowned, forcing himself to awake. Why was he thinking about those things? It was way too early for this kind of nonsense. It was probably his hunger speaking. He needed to eat.

Turning slowly so as not to move the mattress, he got off bed. He scratched his head, looking around the room. Where had he put his phone? He roamed through his things until he remembered it was in his jacket. He picked it up from its place still on the floor, and retrieved his phone. It was 10:24am. Not too early, not too late.

He sighed and rubbed his face. He didn't know what Yixing's plan for the day was, but _his_ plan was to take a shower and find something to eat.

Taking his clothes from his suitcase, he got in the bathroom and took his oh, so much desired shower. The warm water helped him relax, as if it had washed away all the tension from the previous day and not only the dirt. What it didn't help him with, was the weird feeling that was still on his stomach. He didn't like it. But he was sure it would disappear once he ate something.

When he was clean, dressed, and fresh, he stepped out the bathroom, toweling his hair.

“Good morning.”

He stopped on his tracks, startled, with the towel half covering his face.

Yixing was sitting on the bed, with the covers pooled around his waist. He had a sleepy face, his droopy eyes even droopier and his plump lips in a sleepy pout. The hair on one side of his head was all over the place. He looked completely disheveled.

“Good… morning,” Sehun mumbled, placing the towel around his neck. He crouched down to put his dirty clothes inside his suitcase.

“What time is it?” Yixing asked, in the middle of a yawn.

“Almost 11, probably.”

“Wait, what?” He sounded more awake now and Sehun spared him a look. He was throwing the covers away to get off the bed. The sheet got tangled in his ankle and he kicked it several times to get rid of it. _”Damn it.”_

Sehun stared at him in disbelief. Looking at Yixing in the morning, after having waking up, was a spectacle. An amusing spectacle. This was also new for him. He had never seen Yixing in such… conditions.

“What is it?” he asked, standing up.

“We should've left earlier,” Yixing said, walking past him to reach his suitcase. “The later we get on the road, the later we'll arrive to Tokyo.”

“But we have the whole day.”

“So what?” Yixing was roaming in his suitcase, pushing his clothes here and there. He didn't even look at him as he spoke. “It's 10 hours plus the few stops to rest and eat. I don't feel like making you drive the whole day until midnight again.”

“I agreed to do that.”

Yixing finally looked up at him, stopping his frantic search inside his suitcase. “I know, but you’ll get tired. It’s not fair when I can't really help you.”

Sehun raised his eyebrows. Was Yixing really worried about that? Any other time, he would’ve laughed, but the seriousness in Yixing’s eyes told him that he wasn’t joking or being sarcastic.

For a moment none spoke. There was some sort of vibe that he wasn’t understanding. He didn’t know why they were holding their eyes or why they weren’t speaking, but it was awkward and uncomfortable. He couldn’t stand it any longer. He looked away.

“Anyway.” Yixing cleared his throat and continued messing the contents of his suitcase. “We’ll go after having breakfast or… lunch. I don’t know what they have at the restaurant at this hour. You should go check. It’s included in the lodging.” He finally found whatever he was looking for and stood up. “I’ll see you there,” he said, and got in the bathroom.

Sehun stayed a few seconds staring at the door before he moved around the room, retrieving his things. He hadn’t left a big mess, so he was done in a couple of minutes. He put on his jacket and gave the room one final look, making sure he wasn’t forgetting anything. Then, he placed his suitcase and backpack near the door and walked out, heading to the restaurant.

He covered all the way to the restaurant frowning at the floor. This morning was _weird._ There was no other word to describe it. He had woken up thinking about weird things, which left him having a weird feeling on his stomach. Then Yixing and he had had a full conversation without insulting each other—did that exchange even count as a conversation? It had been all super polite, which was weird in itself. So yeah, _weird_ was the word.

The thing that wasn’t weird, though, was his stomach growling at the smell of food. The restaurant had a counter with food, like those at buffets. His mouth watered as he walked along it, examining the meals. There was rice, miso soup, any kind of vegetables, curry, beef, many fried food—fish, chicken, even balls of cheese! They had coffee, tea, juice, milk… It was perfect!

He took a plate and placed some rice, a huge portion of beef, and a bit of vegetables. He served himself a cup of tea and took everything to a table near the counter. He tried not to moan when the first bite was in his mouth. He almost failed. It tasted like glory—just like it had happened with that Tonkotsu ramen from the previous day. Again, he wasn’t sure if it was the food or only his hunger, but he came to the conclusion that he couldn't keep on eating only once or twice a day. They would need to get at least some snacks for the day.

As he ate, he checked his phone and replied to his texts. He updated Chanyeol and received an update from him about the weather—Hokkaido was still the same. According to the news, the snowstorm had moved to the south, reaching Tohoku and part of Chubu regions. It didn’t sound promising.

He took a mouthful of rice, beef, some vegetables, and tried to get them all in his mouth. He chewed with some difficulty, but still managed to push it down his throat. He was drinking a little bit of tea to make everything go down, when a familiar voice reached his ears.

“Has someone ever told you that you look disgusting when you eat?”

Yixing was scrunching his nose down at him. He had taken a shower and was wearing a pair of black jeans and his thick plaid jacket again. His sleepy version was gone.

Normally, Sehun would’ve glared at him for being so annoying, but he couldn’t. Because _that_ was the Yixing he knew, and he couldn’t be more relieved to have him back. It reminded him why he hated him. He only shrugged and continued eating, ignoring him completely.

A few minutes later, Yixing sat in front of him with a plate similar to what he had taken. When they finished with their meals, it was way past midday. They moved back to the room to wash their teeth and retrieve their luggage as fast as they could. Once they were back at the lobby, Yixing went to check them out, and Sehun walked out to get their SUV back.

The wind was blowing, stronger and colder than he remembered. It was evident that the weather wasn't improving, but at least it wasn't snowing—yet.

Using the translator again, he typed, _'Room 63, please'._ He showed the valet the phone and handed him the keys. By the time he brought the car, Yixing was walking out the hotel.

“Do you have a route already?”

“Nope,” Sehun said. “Help me getting the luggage in the trunk and I'll get the route.”

Yixing nodded and took Sehun's suitcase, walking to the back of the car.

Sehun got in, connected his phone again and opened Google Maps, looking for a route. The clock in the screen said 1:17pm. If everything went as planned, they would arrive to Tokyo in a little bit more than 10 hours, according to the GPS. It didn’t sound bad.

The passenger's door opened and Yixing got in. He arranged his belt and Sehun handed him his phone.

“You'll be the annoying lady today,” he said, starting the car. “Just remember, that red—”

“Is traffic. Orange is slightly congested. Green or blue is good. Don’t worry, everything’s under control.” Yixing shrugged when Sehun stared dumbfounded at him. “I made my research last night.”

“When?”

Yixing rolled his eyes. “I've literally just said last night, Oh. Now drive.”

“Tell me where to go, then.”

Yixing glanced down at the phone, studying the route.

It occurred to Sehun then that maybe they should’ve checked the route before retrieving the car. He looked through the rearview mirror and saw a small black car behind them, waiting. The person was probably in no hurry to leave, because at no time did they sound the horn to make them move. But still, they were blocking the entrance.

“Come on, Zhang. There’s someone waiting behind us.”

“Hold on,” Yixing said, giving the phone one final glance. “Okay, get us on the street and turn left. Then go straight until I tell you to change.”

Sehun followed his instructions and in no time they were driving through the streets. They found a gas station nearby, refilled their tank and found their way back to Shimada Suji. The traffic light was no longer broken, fortunately, so they left the avenue behind without problems. They followed all the way to Sanyo Expressway with no further delays and just like that, they were back on the road.

The expressway was almost alone and the road was slightly foggy. Sehun gave the side mirror a quick look and saw a few cars behind them. There was a black truck, another red SUV, a white van, and a small black car. Driving alone in the middle of the winter, with an imminent snowstorm lurking around the country, made Sehun nervous. So knowing there were other vehicles near gave him some peace of mind.

They drove in silence again for a long, long time—two hours and twenty minutes. Sehun was counting. It was driving him crazy. Two hours were a lot of time for him. He needed to break the silence, he had no other option. So as much as he would’ve preferred to keep Yixing’s voice away from his ears, he was the one who spoke again.

“You didn’t tell me when you made your research.”

“You do remember how to speak. Nice,” Yixing said in a bored tone.

Sehun ignored that. “When did you make it?”

“I already told you it was last night.”

“No, I got that. But at what moment? I didn’t notice.”

“Of course you didn’t. You were sleeping.”

Oh… So had he fallen asleep before Yixing? Or had Yixing woken up in the middle of the night to clear his doubts? That sounded like something he would do, honestly. He was as obsessive and perfectionist as that. There was no way for him not to know how to do something, so… yeah. Maybe that had been it.

“I couldn't sleep, so I made a good use of my time.”

_Or that._

“Why couldn't you?”

“Because you snore.”

Sehun gasped, not believing his ears. “I do not!”

“Oh, trust me. You definitely do.”

“No, I don’t!” Sehun sounded like a whiny, little kid. It would’ve been embarrassing on a normal basis, but his pride was more important. He didn’t care. “Someone would’ve told me if that were the case.”

“I’m telling you now,” Yixing said. “You snore.”

“I don’t!”

Yixing snorted. “No, you don’t.”

Sehun glared at him and Yixing jerked his head to the front.

“Eyes to the front,” Yixing said and so Sehun did. “I’ve had trouble sleeping recently and last night was no exception. I was bored, so I googled how to use a GPS. That’s basically it.”

Sehun raised one eyebrow and looked sideways at him. This peaked his attention. Did Yixing have insomnia? That was… He would’ve never imagined it.

“Are you stressed about something?” he asked, giving him a quick glance

“You're driving! Stop looking at me!” Yixing exclaimed and Sehun rolled his eyes, but still complied. “Jesus, why can’t you keep your damn eyes on the road?”

Sehun knew Yixing was diverting the attention from his question. That increased his curiosity about what could keep him awake at night. But then again, it wasn't like they were friends to tell each other that kind of things, so he decided to drop the topic. It wasn't his business, anyway.

Yixing didn't speak again and Sehun thought there had died their no-silence moment. But some minutes later, out of the blue, Yixing finally replied to his question.

“A lot of things are going on right now. Many things to solve, many things I still don't know. I'm still not sure of. Not having the answer to everything is making me delirious, I guess.”

Sehun hummed in understanding, but didn’t add anything else. What else could he say? The only thing that crossed his mind was that Yixing was a ridiculous idiot. Everyone knew that Yixing’s goal was to achieve perfection. Always had, would most likely always be.

He never understood it. Yixing was professional, respectful, disciplined, determined, committed, self-confident, _so fucking talented._ He won with class and lost with grace. He was always in control of his emotions and adapted quickly to the changes. He always pushed his body to its limits and never gave up. He literally worked his ass off. He was already the best and _was near_ to be perfect. That had to count for something.

For Sehun, it did.

For Yixing… _meh._ Not that much, apparently.

And that was the thing that Sehun couldn’t understand. Why Yixing couldn’t see it. Why nobody had _made_ him see it. It was clear for everyone—it was clear for _him_ —so why wasn’t it for Yixing, too?

He didn't even know why it bothered him so much. And as surprising as it was, it wasn't the first time he found himself feeling frustrated with Yixing because of that reason. It was weird—that word, _again_ —but he decided he wouldn't give it a thought. Not now, at least.

A soft, quiet sigh left his lips. The screen showed that it was almost 4. They had been on the road for almost three hours. They still had seven more to go.

He checked the road behind them through the side mirror. The expressway was still very much alone, except for a few vehicles in front and behind them. There was a white van, two blue cars, one red truck and… _oh._ The small black car from before.

 _Wait._ Was it the same? He couldn’t tell. Could it be? It looked the same. He wasn't sure, to be honest, but… Well, coming to think of it, didn't the car waiting at the hotel behind them look like the one behind them now?

Were they… the same?

 _Nah._ Of course they weren’t the same. The world had many small black cars. It had to be a coincidence. He wanted to believe it was a coincidence. And maybe he would’ve. But when another hour went by and the car was still there, something weird churned in his stomach. Not weird like the morning’s weird when he had stared at Yixing. It was more like a creepy weird.

Was the car following them? He didn’t think so. He was just imagining things. It wouldn’t be the first time. He had thought the same with the guy at the airport.

 _But_ if the car wasn’t following them, why hadn’t it changed route, then? Granted, they were on the expressway. There was no way for anyone to go somewhere else. And assuming they were heading to the same place, or their travel destinations had similar routes, they had to follow the same roads. But the person was keeping the same speed as him. They could’ve passed the SUV had they wanted, and yet they still were behind.

Did that even make sense? It probably didn’t. He was probably being paranoid over nothing. His previous 24 hours had been kind of crazy and his head had been going through eccentric trains of thoughts the whole day. He was pulled out from those as soon as Yixing's voice reached his ears.

“What’s going on?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Something's worrying you.”

“I’m fine.”

“Your shoulders and arms are tense,” Yixing said. “And you're doing that thing with your jaw… I forgot how to say it. It goes slack and moves to one side.”

“Uh…” Sehun frowned, not following the point. He did know the word Yixing was looking for, though. “Do you mean 'jut out'?”

“Yeah, that. You're jutting out your jaw, too.”

“What does that even mean?”

Yixing sighed and Sehun saw from the corner of his eye how he turned slightly towards him.

“You do that all the time whenever you're worried or stressed about something. Though when you're stressed, it's almost always my fault. I know I haven't done or said anything for a while, so. What is it?”

Sehun blinked, a little bit astounded. Did he do that? The least he thought when he was stressed or worried was the reactions his body had. So he hadn’t noticed. But Yixing had. Why did Yixing know that?

_“Sehun.”_

Yeah. Right. Back to the main point.

“I think someone’s following us,” he blurted out.

“You think _what?”_

“Do you remember the car behind us at the hotel?”

“No?”

Sehun scrunched up his face. That was very useful.

“Look through the mirror,” he said, his eyes automatically going there. “You see that small black car?”

“Yeah?”

“I think it’s the same car that was at the hotel. I didn’t notice it at first, but I saw it when we entered the expressway, too. Then I realized it was still there an hour ago or so. Maybe I’m just hallucinating, but—”

 _“Shit…”_ Yixing said under his breath. He had leaned forward and was squinting at the mirror.

“What? What is it?”

“Pull over.”

“What?”

“It’s alright. Just pull over.”

Not fully understanding, Sehun still pulled over. He slowed down and stopped the car on the road shoulder. He left the blinkers on, just in case. He looked through the rearview mirror. The black car stopped a few meters behind them.

“Why did we stop?” he asked, facing Yixing. He didn’t receive a reply. Yixing was glaring at the mirror, looking annoyed.

It was strange not to be the one causing that reaction, Sehun thought.

He looked back at the mirror. A man had come out the car and was now walking towards them. _Holy fuck._ What if he was part of the mafia? Or a kidnapper? This was a bad idea. A pretty bad idea. The guy was wearing a pair of jeans and a black wool sweater under a long, brown coat. His silver-dyed hair under a black beanie and—

 _Wait._ Wait a minute. Silver-dyed hair?

“That’s the guy from the airport!” Sehun exclaimed, frowning at the mirror.

“Yes, he is,” Yixing said next to him.

Oh, so had Yixing seen him, too? What was going on? Sehun was about to ask what he meant when the guy knocked his window. Sehun eyed him warily but the guy waved his hand, flashing them a very happy, big smile. Unwillingly, he slowly opened the window. A gust of wind entered, flowing around the car, making a shudder run through his body.

“Hello!” the guy said, leaning on the windowsill. “What a surprise to meet you here!”

Yixing huffed. “Such a coincidence to meet you in the middle of an expressway, sure.”

“It is, isn’t it?” the guy said. “What’s more surprising is to find you together. Is there something I should know?”

Sehun frowned and his mouth twisted. What was this guy talking about?

“Come off it, Byun!” Yixing exclaimed. “What the hell do you want? I told you to stay away.”

Sehun turned to look now at Yixing. “Do you know him?”

Yixing frowned at him. “What do you mean? Don’t you recognize him?”

“No!”

“Okay, that hurt,” Byun guy said.

“Are you being serious?” Yixing asked, completely ignoring the guy. “Does _‘Sehammered’_ ring any bells?”

Sehun stared at Yixing for a moment and suddenly everything fell into place.

Of fucking course this guy’s face had been familiar at the airport, and of fucking course Yixing knew him. That guy right there was goddamned Byun Baekhyun.

‘Reporter’, he liked to call himself. ‘Paparazzi’, was what everyone called him, instead.

He was one of the most famous elements of the sports digital yellow press in the continent. He got the juiciest articles on everyone. Nobody was safe. Not when Baekhyun was behind a story—and Sehun hadn’t been an exception.

Back when he had turned 21, Chanyeol threw him a party. As far as Sehun remembered—and supposing he remembered it right, because everything was blurry up to this day—it had been amazing. It had been everything seen in movies. Full of people, loud music, a huge pool and an unhealthy amount of alcohol. He wasn’t a person of vices; not really. But that day had been an exception and he had exceeded his alcohol limit. He ended up completely drunk.

That hadn’t been the problem, though. For some reason he still couldn’t understand, Baekhyun had found a way to get into the party. He captured every single mistake he had made that night. As expected, the next day his drunk ass appeared under a headline that read: _‘Oh Sehammered, champion on the slopes and at parties_.' The article obtained millions of visits, shares, and comments. It had been such a scandal that it even made it to the international headlines.

Obviously this resulted in Sehun being catalogued as a problematic drunk teenager. The word 'hammered' attached to his name didn't help his cause. It cost him to keep the nickname of _‘Sehammered’_ for a whole year. Nobody let it rest. That was the only thing people talked about. It had got so excessive, that more than once he considered going on hiatus. Sehun didn’t remember that era with that much love.

And do not let him start talking about Baekhyun's obsession with his and Yixing's bad relationship. He had been the one involved in the article that disclosed that they couldn’t stand each other. That article got tons and tons of reactions from the public, launching Byun Baekhyun to fame. From that moment on, he focused on getting something, anything, on them. So whenever a gossip related to him, Yixing, or both, arose, everyone knew it was Baekhyun the one behind it all. Now he had a team in charge of following them everywhere, leaving him only to write the articles.

That was why Sehun hadn't recognized him before. The last time he had seen him, it was probably two or three years ago. And his hair had been a horrible shade of red. He looked kind of different now. Although it wasn't like he kept track of how Baekhyun looked like. He didn't even like him.

“I do remember,” Baekhyun quipped, annoying the hell out of Sehun. “ _'Sehammered'_ was amazing. Iconic. Very funny.”

“It was not!” Sehun and Yixing exclaimed at the same time. They made eye contact for a brief moment before Sehun turned to glare at Baekhyun.

“Why are you here?” he asked. “I saw you at the airport. And you were at the hotel, too, weren’t you? Are you fucking stalking us?”

“Of course not!” Baekhyun said, twisting his face. “Minseok sent me to cover the competition. It’s a coincidence I found you, as Yixing here says.”

“I don’t believe you,” Sehun said. “What are you planning?”

“Nothing, I promise!” Baekhyun raised his hands in mock surrender. “Unless _you_ are planning something. Are you? Sehun? Yixing?”

Yixing huffed again. “What could we possibly be planning?”

“Well, I don’t know. That’s what I’m going to discover,” Baekhyun said. “Because excuse me if I don’t believe you, but all this”—he waved one hand inside the car—”seems very strange to me. Do you really think I’m going to believe you suddenly decided to travel together when you can’t stand each other? You can’t deny it’s very suspicious.”

“Go away, Baekhyun!” Sehun said at the same time Yixing exclaimed, “Stop doing drugs, Byun!”

“See?! You’re being suspicious!” Baekhyun pointed one of his long, slim fingers towards them and his smile widened.

“Think whatever you want,” Sehun said. “Just let us get to fucking Tokyo in peace.”

“We’re heading to Tokyo?” Baekhyun asked. “Isn’t that like twelve hours away?”

 _“We_ are heading to Tokyo,” Yixing said, moving a finger between Sehun and him. “You're getting lost. Right now.”

“Fine,” Baekhyun said. “I’ll leave you for now, but be aware that I’ll get to the bottom of this.” He straightened and tapped the windowsill. “Drive safe. See you in Tokyo.”

And then he was gone. Sehun saw him walking towards his small, black car through the side mirror. He glared at his back until he got in his car.

“He is so… irritating!” Yixing shook his head and gave him a soft slap on the arm. “Come on. We’ve already lost a lot of time.”

Sighing, Sehun closed the window, started the car, and got back on the road.

How could’ve he forgotten that guy? He was as annoying as Yixing. He couldn’t really decide who he hated the most; if Yixing or Baekhyun—actually, he could. It was Yixing. Yixing all the way. Baekhyun was annoying only because he was doing his job, but Yixing was annoying by choice. That made him the worst between the two.

Still, Baekhyun was a huge pain in the ass. He didn't want to imagine what would happen if he joined forces with Yixing only to mess with him. Now _that_ was something he feared. Though coming to think of it, he couldn’t be so sure they hadn’t already planned something. For all he knew, Yixing had also seen him before at the airport, and they had talked. What if they had planned something? If anything, the only suspicious people there were Yixing and Baekhyun.

He had to clear that before something worse happened.

“Did you see him at the airport?” he asked, even though he knew the answer was positive.

“Baekhyun? Yeah,” Yixing said. He was leaning on the door with his head on the window. “At the plane, actually. He was three seats back from mine.”

“And didn’t you consider telling me about it?”

“Did I have to?”

“I think you had, yes,” Sehun said. “Did you know he was following us? Did you plan all this with him?”

“Excuse me, what?”

“You heard me. Did you plan this?”

“No! Why would I?!”

“I don’t know!” Sehun threw one hand up, exasperated. “As far as I know, Baekhyun is eager and thirsty to get something on any of us. You were the one who talked to him first. How do I know you didn’t sell me to save your skin?”

“Oh, my God! Don’t start with that shit again!” Yixing groaned, tilting his head back on his seat. “How many times are you going to pull out that fucking card? I already told you that I don’t have an evil plan to get rid of you!”

“Nothing assures me that you’re not lying! Do I have to remind you that I don’t trust you?”

“Fucking hell, Sehun! Why are you so frustrating?!” Yixing yelled, clenching his hands into fists.

“The only frustrating one is you!” Sehun yelled back. “If you could only see things from my point of view, you—”

“I’m trying to see things from your point of view!” Yixing interrupted. “Trust me, I really do! But I can’t get my head that far up my fucking ass!”

“At least I have an ass!”

“Is that seriously what you’re going to say? That I don’t have an ass?”

Sehun didn’t reply, causing Yixing to laugh. The sound wasn’t happy, but sarcastic and false. Sehun knew this laugh. Yixing was completely done with this fight.

“That’s definitely not your best comeback,” Yixing said.

“Fuck you.”

“That’s not it, either.” Yixing huffed and leaned back on the door. “I'm not going to do this. I’m out.”

See? Yixing was done fighting. But unfortunately for him, Sehun wasn’t.

“No, you can’t be out.” Sehun turned to look at him, pointing his finger at him. Yixing suddenly straightened, his eyes staring at the front. Sehun didn’t paid it attention and continued ranting. “You’re the one who got us in this, so you might as well take—”

“Sehun, a pothole!”

But by the moment Sehun faced to the front again, the pothole was already under them. The SUV shook. It wasn’t strong enough to cause a huge impact on either of them, but the thumping it made on the driver’s side could only mean one thing. He was sure none of them was going to like it. He slowed down until they came to a stop on the road shoulder. Again.

Without speaking, they hoped out. The temperature had slightly dropped and the wind felt frostier than a few hours ago. It sent Sehun’s jacket flying around, so he quickly zipped it.

Yixing went around the car, crouched down next to him and stared hopelessly at the now useless tire. Sehun stood behind him. The car already looked uneven, with the front tire lower than the rest. _Dammit._

“It’s flat,” Sehun said.

“No shit, Sherlock.” Yixing glared at him and then stood up. “I told you to keep your eyes on the damn road. It wasn't that hard! I don’t know why I thought you could do this.”

“Why do I feel that you’re blaming me for this?”

“Because I am.”

“How come _this_ is my fault?” Sehun asked, pointing at the tire.

“Well, I wasn’t driving. It’s clearly not my fault,” Yixing said, turning around when the small black car parked a few meters behind them. _”God,_ why doesn’t he give up?”

Baekhyun got off his car and secured his coat around him. He headed towards them, with his usually smiley face replaced by a frowning one.

“Are you alright?” he asked once he had reached them. “I saw you shake. Flat tire?”

“If you don’t have anything useful to give, then don’t get in the way, Byun,” Yixing said, crossing his arms.

“Didn’t you see the pothole?” Baekhyun asked, instead. “There’s no way you didn’t see it. It’s huge. Unless you were distracted. Who was distracting who? Whose fault is this, hm?”

“Not mine,” Sehun said.

Yixing glared at him. “You were just looking for excuses to fight with me instead of paying attention to the road. This is definitely your fault.” He shook his head and turned around, walking to the back of the car. “Let’s see if we can change that fucking tire.”

Sehun and Baekhyun followed him, standing behind him. Yixing opened the trunk and took out the suitcases. He then found the wheel wedges and placed them on the floor. Then looked back at Sehun.

“Are you going to stand there and watch or are you going to help me?”

“Are you letting me choose?” Sehun asked. “Because my answer will probably disappoint you.”

“Typical,” Yixing mumbled, going back to messing around the contents of the trunk. “I’m seriously jealous of all the people who have the pleasure of not knowing you.”

“I heard that,” Sehun said, as he finally stood next to him.

“You were supposed to.”

“Has someone ever told you that watching you interact is always so… amusing?” Baekhyun asked from his place behind them. “At least I do enjoy it. A lot.”

“Shut up, Byun,” Yixing ordered without looking away from the trunk.

Sehun took the lug wrench and placed it next to the wedges. “Do you even know how to change a flat tire? Because I don’t.”

Yixing stopped amid taking the car jack out to stare at him in disbelief. “I was counting on you to do it.”

“I don't know how to. Chanyeol does it for me.”

Yixing scoffed. “Fantastic!”

“Baekhyun—” Sehun started, but Baekhyun immediately interrupted him.

“I don’t know, either.”

Great! That was just great. How were they going to get out of this, then? Sehun couldn’t believe it. They were all so useless! And now he was talking like Yixing. _Ew._

“This sucks, doesn’t it?” Baekhyun said. “It’s evident you won’t make any progress, so listen. According to the GPS, we’re in Nagoya. I know a guy who lives nearby. We could ask for his help.”

“Really?” Sehun asked. “How close?”

“About ten kilometers or so.”

“We don’t need your help, Byun,” Yixing said.

“Alright…” Baekhyun shrugged and crossed his arms. “I’ll stay over here in case you change your mind.”

Sehun looked back at Yixing and whispered, “That’s actually a good idea.”

“It’s not,” Yixing whispered back. “You’re not seriously believing he wants to help.”

“Do we have another option?”

“I don’t want to owe him anything, Sehun.”

“What do you suggest, then? We don’t know how to change that tire.”

“We could call the insurance.”

“For a flat tire? Seriously?”

Yixing shrugged. “They’re supposed to help with emergencies. This is an emergency.”

“Stop being an idiot.” Sehun closed his eyes, annoyed. “You know his offer is our best option.”

Yixing shook his head and stared down at the trunk, deep in thought. He was taking his time to decide whether he trusted Baekhyun or not—and with reason—but they couldn't wait longer.

“Come on, Yixing. We don't have all day.”

Yixing stared at him for a moment and said, “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you’re right.”

“So?”

“Call your friend, Byun.” Yixing said without breaking eye contact with Sehun. “I think we need some help here.”

Then they both turned to find Baekhyun flashing them a smile before taking out his phone and calling whoever this friend of his was. He waited for a few seconds and then his smile widened.

“Kyungsoo!” he said. “It’s such a pleasure to hear your voice, too!”

Sehun frowned, noting the tone of sarcasm in Baekhyun’s voice.

“He’s being sarcastic,” Yixing said as they stared at Baekhyun walking away from hearing range. “That can’t be good.”

Sehun raised an eyebrow at him. “You’re sarcastic all the time.”

“And when has that led us to something good?”

Well, he had a point…

“Do you think this is a good idea?” Sehun asked, looking back at Baekhyun.

“Nothing about this trip will ever be a good idea,” Yixing said and turned around. “I’ll wait inside the car. It’s fucking freezing out here.”

Sehun looked at him getting in the car and a quiet sigh left his lips. He crossed his arms and stared at the steam coming from his mouth disappear. He could only think one thing—they were seriously going to regret this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ENTER BBH AND DKS]—Sooooo, it's finally been revealed who this familiar guy was. Sehun wasn't going crazy, you see? There was someone following him, indeed, but his mind was somewhere else to really think about it, I guess haha
> 
> We're now almost in the middle of this, 4/9, yet I don't feel we're moving fast enough. Don't be a working adult, please. It takes a lot of time and you don't get to update as soon as you'd like to.
> 
> On another note, 1 Billion Views is being released in a few hours and I'M ! VERY ! EXCITED!!! I already know it's gonna be an amazing album. Quality content, as always. 🤪💕
> 
> But yes, that's it for now. Have a great day/night! And take care, alright? :)


	5. Chapter 5

It was weird not to be the one driving, but Sehun wasn’t complaining. He was done with everything related to cars for the time being. He was done with everything related to all this stupid hitchhiking plan of Yixing’s.

Was it too late to go back to Fukuoka and ask for a rebook? It was, wasn’t it? Damn him and his bad decisions.

After Baekhyun had talked to this Kyungsoo guy, he informed them that his friend had accepted. He could help, but they would have to meet him somewhere else.

“What about the SUV?” Yixing had asked.

“We’ll have to leave it here,” Baekhyun had said. “Kyungsoo will send a tow truck to retrieve it.”

“We won't leave it here!” Yixing again.

And so they waited for almost forty minutes before the tow truck appeared. That’s how Sehun and Yixing ended up in the back seat of Baekhyun's small black car. Baekhyun, the paparazzi, who didn’t know how to shut up. They hadn’t even buckled when Baekhyun started telling them a summary of Kyungsoo's life and how they had met.

“To kill time,” he had said. He was killing _them_ instead.

Sehun learned that Do Kyungsoo was 26, Korean. When he was 6, his father had been transferred to the Japanese headquarters of the company he worked at. That was how his family moved to live in a quiet and peaceful neighborhood in Nagoya. Things went good for them there, so they never went back to Seoul. He had majored in psychology, graduated two years ago, and set up his own office six months later.

He was close with his neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Kimura, ever since his family had arrived to Japan. They were a couple not so much older than Kyungsoo’s parents, living on the income from the _ryokan_ they had—which apparently was where they were going.

Baekhyun then jumped to the story about how they had met. According to him, it was funny. According to Sehun, it wasn’t.

Back when Baekhyun was starting his reporter career— _”Paparazzi career, you mean,”_ had Yixing said—he had to cover a small sumo wrestling tournament in Nagoya. He had never been to Nagoya, so naturally, he got lost. He ended up finding a ryokan where a small man was washing the street. That man, of course, had been Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo helped him getting to the gymnasium, and after that, Baekhyun started visiting him whenever he went to Nagoya. Now they were friends.

“Kyungsoo will deny it if you ask him, but we really are friends,” Baekhyun said when he finished his story.

That had been like five minutes ago, and he was now on his next story—something about how he had got his first job. Probably. Sehun had long since muted his voice, so he wasn’t sure.

He leaned back his head in the seat, his eyes never leaving the window. There was nothing to see but the white concrete wall that divided both lanes on the expressway and a foggy background. It was a boring scenery. But it was either looking at that or at the frowning Yixing sitting next to him.

So, concrete wall it was.

A slap on his arm brought his attention back to the car. Sehun turned to glare at Yixing.

“Is your Chinese still good?” Yixing asked him in Chinese, completely out of the blue.

Baekhyun went silent.

“Is it?” Yixing asked him again, not changing languages.

Sehun sent him a confused look, but still answered in Chinese. “I haven’t practiced for a long time, but—”

“That’s good enough,” Yixing interrupted. He gave Baekhyun a quick glance and continued. “Listen, I don’t know if I’m only being paranoid, but is it me or does it seem like we’re walking directly into the lion’s den?”

“What do you mean?”

“We were only looking for a person to help us change the tire and we got a tow truck, instead. Now they're taking us to God-knows-where, in the middle of Nagoya, just because a fucking flat tire. Isn’t it weird?”

Sehun blinked, processing Yixing's words. Was it weird? He hadn't perceived it like that. There could be many reasons why Kyungsoo had sent a tow truck. They didn't know any, but it didn't mean there wasn't a valid reason behind it.

“For all that we know,” Yixing added, “they could be setting us a trap.”

“This guy seems fine to me.”

“You don't even know him.”

“We should give him the benefit of the doubt.”

Yixing gaped at him. “So you trust a stranger more than you trust me?”

“That's because I _know_ you.”

For a brief moment, Yixing looked offended, but it was gone as soon as it had appeared. He turned to look out his own window, mumbling, “You don't know me.”

A weird feeling appeared in Sehun's stomach. But every intention he had to go deeper into it vanished when Baekhyun spoke again.

“Don’t speak in a language I don’t understand,” he said, looking at them through the rearview mirror. “It’s unfair.”

“We're not saying anything of importance,” Yixing said, going back to Korean.

“So you like to argue about unimportant things? Isn’t that a little… immature?”

“Why are you so surprised?” Yixing asked. “You’ve described us as immature many times before.”

“It’s called clickbait,” Baekhyun said. “You should see how my numbers grow whenever your names and the word ‘immature’ appear together in a headline. It’s like digging gold.”

“We don’t like you,” Sehun spat, frowning at him through the mirror.

Baekhyun shrugged. “I’m sorry that our ways of thinking don’t match, but my job is to discover the truth.”

“By stalking people?” Yixing asked.

“By being in the right place, at the right time,” Baekhyun corrected.

Yixing only huffed and Sehun rolled his eyes, but no one spoke again.

Sehun checked his phone. It was 6:29pm. When had time gone by? To kill time—for real this time—he began recounting what had happened throughout the day and at what time it had happened.

They left the hotel past 1pm. They drove in silence for two hours twenty minutes—he was still very much aware of that—making the hour something past 3pm. He noticed the black car following them an hour later or so. They found Baekhyun, then the flat tire happened, making it around 5pm. Baekhyun called Kyungsoo. They waited for the tow truck—around 6pm, then. They had been in the car for twenty minutes or so. Time had gone by, hadn’t it?

It wasn’t long after that that Baekhyun finally told them they had arrived. He parked in the small parking lot of a lilac house. It was a large three-storey house, full of branches everywhere. There was also a man standing at the entrance. He was short, with black, short hair, and a pair of big, expressive eyes behind a pair of black frames. He was cladded all in black, the only exception being his tennis shoes, which were gray. He looked respectable and serious. Like someone who didn’t stand bullshit—which was a huge inconvenient. He and Yixing were full of bullshit.

When Baekhyun saw him, he didn’t hesitate to hope out the car. “Kyungsoo!”

So that man was Kyungsoo…

Interesting.

When Baekhyun hugged him, Kyungsoo made a face, but he didn’t push him away and even returned the hug. They looked like a pair of old friends who had just met again after a long time. Everything seemed normal and fine, until they began speaking in Japanese.

Sehun was impressed. He barely knew Baekhyun, but he didn’t take him as someone to learn another language when he wasn’t stalking athletes. Though it made sense. His job allowed him to travel a lot. Maybe he had learned in the process.

He stared at them, feeling slightly uncomfortable. He didn’t understand what they were saying, but he was sure they were talking about Yixing and him—the looks they were throwing at them were everything he needed to confirm it.

“Why are they looking at us?” Yixing asked, again in Chinese.

“Why are you speaking in Chinese again?” Sehun asked back, his brain taking its time to change from Korean to Chinese.

“Because they’re speaking in Japanese and we can’t understand. So we’ll speak in Chinese so they can’t understand either.”

“What assures you that they don’t understand?”

“Baekhyun doesn’t.”

“What about Kyungsoo?”

A cry of victory came from Baekhyun and they both looked at him. Baekhyun raised his hand, waiting for a high-five, but it never came. He ended up high-fiving himself and then walked towards them, Kyungsoo following behind.

“Kyungsoo, meet our global champions, Zhang Yixing and Oh Sehun. Global champions, meet Do Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo bowed at them, and they returned the gesture.

“Why are you so polite?” Baekhyun asked, scrunching his nose up.

“It’s called manners,” Kyungsoo said. “You should learn about them.”

The tow truck then appeared, preventing Baekhyun from retorting anything else.

The SUV was placed back on the road and without missing a bit, the man that drove it put himself to work. He changed the tire fast. Really, really fast. In less than ten minutes the SUV was ready to go.

“That was it?” Sehun couldn’t help asking.

“It was just the tire. Nothing of big science,” Kyungsoo said, offering him a small smile.

“I can't believe it took us longer to wait for the tow truck than to change that stupid tire.” Yixing frowned at the SUV for a couple of seconds, then looked at Kyungsoo. “We owe you a big one. How much will the charge be?”

“Oh, no! No!” Kyungsoo shook his head and his hands, looking completely scandalized. “You don’t have to. I’m making him—”he jerked his head towards Baekhyun—”a favor, so it’s alright. He’ll pay me later.”

“I will,” Baekhyun said, flapping his hand in a nonchalant way. “Just wait and see. I promise I wasn't lying. You'll get the chance to witness it all in the first row.”

Sehun didn’t understand what they were talking about, but he couldn’t care less. Now that the worry about the tire was away, he was conscious of how his stomach was growling. The sound came out stronger than he had thought, because the other three turned to look at him.

“Would you like to come in?” Kyungsoo asked, pointing back to the house. “My neighbors are the owners. I could talk to them so you can eat here.”

“Yes!” Baekhyun exclaimed. “The food here is so good! You’ll love it.”

Yixing and Sehun exchanged looks.

While Sehun wanted to accept the offer, he knew it wasn’t only on him to decide. Yixing had to be desperate to go back to the road. Their plan had gone down to hell with the tire issue and they had already lost a lot of time. At this rate, they wouldn’t make it to Tokyo until way past midnight. Losing one or two other hours wasn’t even an option. Not at this point. So giving up the idea of getting food, Sehun opened his mouth to say they would pass, but Yixing beat him to it.

“Thanks, Kyungsoo. It would be lovely.”

Sehun raised his eyebrows, a question evident in his face. Yixing only gave him a look before walking past him, following Kyungsoo towards the entrance of the house.

Right after crossing the door, they found a small entranceway where they left their shoes. Kyungsoo provided them with slippers and they walked into the reception area. It had wooden paneled floor and white walls. The ceiling had tiny light bulbs hanging off it, giving the room a warm appearance. There were some flowerpots around, with plants Sehun didn’t know their name, but still thought were pretty. There were some couches to the left, a large hall to the right and a wooden reception desk at the back.

Next to the desk was a sliding door. It revealed another large hall that took them to a common area that looked like both the dining room and the kitchen. To the right, there was a stove, a fridge, a sink, some cabinets. To the left, there were two large wooden tables and a counter fixed to the wall around them. Right at the middle of the furthest wall, was another closed sliding door.

At the table, two people were sitting. A man and a woman, both looking of age, around their sixties or so.

“These are Mr. and Mrs. Kimura,” Kyungsoo said. “The owners of the place and my neighbors.”

Sehun, Yixing and Baekhyun bowed, though Baekhyun added a small wave of his hand. The couple bowed their heads and then looked at Kyungsoo. They exchanged some words that, yet again, Sehun didn’t understand. The couple sent some glances at Yixing and him. Baekhyun said something else. Kyungsoo snorted, the woman laughed, the man shook his head.

Sehun chanced a glance of his own at Yixing and he wasn’t surprised to find him slightly frowning at them.

“Take a sit,” Kyungsoo then said. “I’ll heat the food.”

Baekhyun didn’t hesitate and walked towards the table. He began chatting with the couple, as though they knew each other for a lifetime. It was evident he had been there many times before.

Sehun, reluctantly so, took a seat, too. Yixing followed him suit, sitting next to him. They didn’t talk, didn’t move, and probably didn’t even breathe. It was then that Sehun understood what Yixing had told him back at Baekhyun’s car. There was some sort of vibe in the room that he couldn’t comprehend. It was as though Baekhyun, Kyungsoo, and the Kimuras were all sharing a secret that Yixing and he were completely unaware of.

Though he didn’t feel it as if they were mocking them. It was more like they were expecting something to happen. What it was, Sehun didn’t know…

It didn’t take Kyungsoo so long to get the meals done. He brought each one a tray and he sat, too. At the top of the table was Mr. Kimura. To his left were Mrs. Kimura and Kyungsoo. To his right, Baekhyun, Sehun, and Yixing.

Looking down at his tray, Sehun found he had a bowl with soup and three plates with different dishes with vegetables and meat. He didn't know what they were, and nobody bothered to explain, so he shrugged it off and ate.

As they ate, Sehun’s stomach thanked him for being so generous yet again. Every single meal he had had in Japan had been amazing. There was something about it that had him wanting to stay there for the rest of his life. He wouldn’t mind.

Throughout the dinner, they talked, with Kyungsoo and Baekhyun working as translators. The Kimura couple wanted to know about their snowboarding careers. About the competition. About how they had ended up there.

Sehun and Yixing took turns to tell them their version of the whole ordeal, only omitting the parts where they had fought—which were way too many. While Sehun had been detailed, focusing only in the most exciting parts of the story, Yixing had impersonated everyone. From the staff at the airport, to the receptionist and the valet at the hotel. He was charming and entrancing. He laughed, smiled, and enjoyed the moment.

This wasn’t a new image for Sehun. Over time, he had learned that Yixing’s bad side was only afloat when he was interacting with him. With anybody else, he was kind, polite, smiley. Fun, even. A whole different Yixing from what Sehun was so used to. He had once wondered, many years ago, what it would be like to get that treatment, too, but the thought slipped his mind as soon as it had appeared. Now he didn’t care. For some reason, being able to witness it from afar was enough for him.

Once they were done, Kyungsoo and Baekhyun cleaned the table. Sehun and Yixing helped washing the dishes, against Kyungsoo’s refusal. Yixing washed, Sehun dried, and in that fashion they finished in no time.

Yixing was drying his hands when the Kimura couple stood from the table. According to Baekhyun, they were going to sleep. It was already too late for them to be awake.

Frowning, but trying to be discreet about it, Sehun checked the hour. He almost cursed aloud—it was past 9pm. He looked at Yixing and found him frowning down at his phone, too.

The Kimuras bid them farewell and left through the hall. The door at the entrance opened and just like that, they were gone.

“So,” Baekhyun started. “I don’t think we’ll get today to Tokyo.”

Yixing frowned at him. “Don’t speak in plural. You’re not coming with us.”

Baekhyun gaped at him, then looked at Kyungsoo. “Can you believe this? After all I did for them today?”

“It doesn't make up for everything you've done before.” Kyungsoo shrugged. “I wouldn’t want you near if I were them.”

“Thank you,” Yixing said.

“Whatever!” Baekhyun exclaimed. “The point is that we can’t continue driving. Not at this hour. Mr. and Mrs. Kimura offered to lend us two rooms for free, because of me. So, we should—”

“We’re not staying,” Sehun interrupted him.

Baekhyun now gaped at him. “Do you plan to drive at this hour?”

“That’s always been the plan,” Sehun said. “We have to go back now to make it on time.”

“If you allow me to intrude, I don’t think that’s convenient,” Kyungsoo said. “It’s late and you’ll still have to make a stop to rest. Being at 4 or 5am when you get to Tokyo or later if you keep on driving until the sun comes up. Why won’t make it right now, instead? That way you won’t waste valuable daylight to continue driving.”

Sehun knew Kyungsoo was right. There was a part of him that wanted to follow that logic and stay for the night. But another part of him was telling him to refuse. Yixing was counting on him to make it to Tokyo before sunrise and he didn't want to disappoint him. Not because he cared. No. He didn't give a damn if he didn't fulfill Yixing's expectations. It was more an act of self-preservation. A disappointed and upset Yixing meant having to fight with him for the most stupid things. That was something he didn't want to deal with it.

“Can we really stay here?” Yixing asked. Baekhyun nodded and Yixing turned to Sehun. “I think we should stay.”

Sehun stared at him in disbelief. Had he heard right?

“Kyungsoo’s right,” Yixing continued, “and I want you to rest.”

“Aw, Yixing,” Baekhyun cooed, making fake puppy eyes at them. “Has spending time with Sehun made you stop hating him?”

Yixing rolled his eyes. “It’s not because I don’t hate him. I do.” He looked back at Sehun and repeated, “I hate you. But I don’t want to die in a car crash.”

Sehun scowled at him. “I would never be that careless.”

Yixing scoffed and rolled his eyes again. “Your carelessness brought us here, in case you forgot.”

“Just decide already,” Baekhyun urged them. “Will you stay or not?”

“Fine,” Sehun said, then pointed his finger at Yixing. “But if you start arguing with me tomorrow about stupid things, I promise I’ll throw you out the car in movement.”

“See, Kyungsoo?” Baekhyun said, smiling at his friend. “Told you they were charming.”

Kyungsoo cleared his throat and extended his hand, ignoring Baekhyun. “After you.”

They walked out the dining room and went outside to retrieve their suitcases. Once they were inside again, Kyungsoo led them through the hall at the reception. They entered an area that had four sliding doors, two at each side, and a staircase at the back. They went up to the next floor, which looked the same. They continued until the third floor, but this time, there was only a small free area with a single sliding door. It was already open, so Kyungsoo stepped in and the other three guys followed him in.

It was a large room, with tatami flooring and white walls. With a low table and two low chairs placed in the middle. There was no bed. A wall-sized wardrobe was located at the end of the room. It was doorless, so they could see how a futon, some blankets and a few pillows were all folded inside it. To the right was another door. To the left was a large window with open shutters that allowed them to see the street from there.

“I know this isn’t as luxurious as the hotels you’re used to,” Kyungsoo said. “But I promise the futon is comfortable.”

“And he gave you the only room with a private bathroom,” Baekhyun added.

“That table is for you to eat in here if you don’t feel like doing it at the dining room,” Kyungsoo continued. “The kitchen is available 24/7 and self-service. There”—he pointed to the wardrobe—”you have the futon and some blankets in case you get cold. The house has a heating system, but you know… Sometimes it’s not enough.” He walked to the door at the right and opened it. “Here’s the bathroom, as Baekhyun says. It’s small, but it has everything you might need.”

Kyungsoo wasn’t looking directly at anyone, so Sehun didn’t know whether he was talking to Yixing or him. He hoped it was him. He deserved it more than Yixing. He would just have to wait until Kyungsoo finished explaining so he could ask.

After Kyungsoo explained to them how the shower worked, he closed the bathroom door and stood next to Baekhyun. Sehun prepared the question in his head. He really wished this room to be his. But before he could even let the question out, Yixing voiced their doubts out loud.

“Where am I going to sleep?”

Sehun almost choked.

That was _not_ the main doubt here.

Among all the things he could’ve thought Yixing would say, _that one_ wasn’t part of the list. Was he seriously giving in the best room in the ryokan? And to him, Sehun, his biggest rival, nonetheless? _What?_

That was… good. Amazing! Yixing was giving in the room. Which made Sehun feel slightly embarrassed. There he was, thinking about himself, while Yixing was… What was Yixing even doing? He was thinking about Sehun's well-being. Since when did that happen? Was that what was happening? It certainly looked like it. But Kyungsoo’s face told him that things weren’t as he was perceiving them—which made his stomach drop to the floor. This couldn’t be good…

“Uh…” Kyungsoo’s eyes jumped from Sehun to Yixing a few times, before settling on Yixing. “This room is for the both of you.”

Wait, _what?_

Sehun and Yixing immediately looked at each other. In any other circumstances, Sehun would’ve laughed at their reactions. Yixing was gaping, his eyes wide. He was sure that they could only see confusion and maybe a little bit of fear on his face.

This wasn’t happening again, was it?

“No, we… No,” Yixing said, shaking his head. “We can’t… Why do we have to share a room?”

Kyungsoo looked surprised, his eyes even bigger.

Baekhyun snorted. “What’s the problem? Didn’t you share room yesterday?”

Sehun frowned at him. “How do you know that?!”

“It doesn't matter,” Baekhyun said. “Mr. and Mrs. Kimura only lend us two rooms. One for me, one for you. Another night sleeping together won’t harm you. Unless one of you wants to share the room with me.” He shrugged, trying to look nonchalant, though it was evident he was enjoying this way too much. “It’s your choice.”

Well, that was a full no for Sehun, and judging by Yixing’s face, that was a full no for him, too. No matter if he hated Yixing more than Baekhyun, there was no way he would share a room with Byun Baekhyun in this life. Or in any other life.

Next to him, Yixing sighed. “Don’t worry, Kyungsoo. We’ll stay here.”

Kyungsoo nodded. “I’ll stay the night, too. Room number 1. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to let me know.”

“Thank you,” Yixing said and smiled.

Kyungsoo smiled back and moved to walk out. “Good night, then.”

The sound of Kyungsoo’s footsteps lessened until nothing could be heard anymore. Baekhyun, however, was still there, smiling and staring at them. It was pretty disconcerting.

“What do you want?” Sehun asked, glaring at him. “Shoo.”

Baekhyun’s smile widened. “Enjoy your night, kids.”

“Get out!” Sehun exclaimed.

Baekhyun snorted and shook his head. “See you tomorrow.” He finally walked out, sliding the door closed.

Sehun and Yixing stayed rooted to their places, not knowing what to do.

Yixing freed a deep, noisy sigh and Sehun turned to look at him. He had closed his eyes and had a hand buried in his hair. For a very brief moment, Sehun remembered how Yixing’s hair had looked that morning, back at the hotel room. Soft and shiny. He wanted to run his hand through that hair, too. But as soon as his brain registered what he was thinking, he threw the thought away.

“How are we going to do this?” Yixing asked, breaking the silence. “Do you want to shower or can I go first?”

His hand was still in his hair, but his face was reflecting no emotion. His shoulders were slumped. He looked paler than usual, tired… so fucking done with everyone and everything. It was obvious he was doing his best not to make a big fuss about all this—and for that, Sehun decided he could grant him the shower first. He was in no rush to get himself clean, anyway.

“You go first.”

Yixing nodded and got in the bathroom, taking his things with him.

Not having anything else to do, Sehun took off his backpack, placing it on the floor. He placed his jacket on the wardrobe and got his clothes out of his suitcase. He chose a clean black shirt and the same pair of sweats. It wasn't like they were dirty or something. He had worn them only once. He might as well recycle them.

Then he stood at the window, looking at the street. It was empty. There were no cars passing by, nor people walking by. From where he was standing, he could see the wind had intensified, for the dry branches of the trees were dancing from side to side with more force than usual. Fishing his phone from the pocket of his jeans, he opened the internet browser to check the forecast. However, he didn’t manage to look for it. As he was about to type, his phone rang and Chanyeol’s name appeared on the screen.

“Hey.”

_“Where are you? Are you already in Tokyo?”_

“In Nagoya.”

_“Nagoya? Isn’t that like, super far from Tokyo?”_

Sighing, Sehun proceeded to tell him what had happened. By the time he finished, the words ‘shit’ and ‘fuck’ had reached his ears, at least, fifty times.

 _“And what are you going to do now?”_ Chanyeol asked.

“I don’t know. I need to talk to Yixing. See what he wants to do tomorrow.”

Chanyeol snorted at that. _”Who cares about what he wants? What matters here is what you want to do. You’re the one driving.”_

He had a point, but then again, it wasn’t only on him to decide. Yixing and he were some sort of temporal team, so they had to take every decision as a team. He wasn’t going to tell Chanyeol that, though.

“How’s the weather?” he asked instead. “Still snowing?”

 _“It’s like living in the middle of the North Pole!”_ Chanyeol exclaimed. _”I can’t leave the resort! What’s the point of coming a whole week before the competition if I can’t enjoy the place?”_

“That’s karma calling you out for sending me in economy class.”

_“At least I’m not stuck in Nagoya with fucking Zhang and Byun.”_

And again, he had a point, the fucker.

“Whatever. It won’t last forever,” Sehun said. “Only a few more days, then the competition, and I’ll finally go home.”

 _“I don’t know about that. There’s this rumor going around that the FIS will postpone the competition if the snowstorm doesn’t stop soon,”_ Chanyeol said. _”But before you freak out, it’s only a rumor! I’ll keep you updated on that.”_

Oh, damn hell. This snowstorm was going to end the world.

“Right. Thank you,” Sehun said at the same time the bathroom door opened. “I gotta go. Talk to you later.”

_“Is Zhang there?”_

“Yeah.”

_“Kiss him goodnight already and give us world peace.”_

“Screw you, dumpshit.”

And he ended the call.

The smell of coconut flooded the room. Yixing stepped out the bathroom, steam coming right behind him. He pulled his suitcase, the small tires not making any noise thanks to the tatami flooring. He had a towel around his neck that caught the droplets of water dripping from his hair. He was wearing a pair of sweats and a shirt like the previous day. Though this time, the sweats were gray and the shirt was white—without mentioning that the shirt didn't expose more skin than needed. _Thank you._ He was wearing a new sleeping outfit. What a neat man. And there Sehun was, thinking about recycling his clothes because he had worn them only once.

“You can go in now if you want,” Yixing said.

Sehun nodded, took his clothes, and got in the bathroom. The smell of coconut was stronger in there. Kyungsoo hadn't been lying. The bathroom was small, indeed, only with the toilet, the sink, a small cabinet and the shower area. He looked inside the cabinet and found towels and some toiletries, like small bottles of coconut shampoo and bars of lavender soap. It was fine. He only needed shampoo, soap, and warm water. Luxury wasn't necessary.

He took his shower without hurry. He used the same shampoo and soap Yixing had taken out from the cabinet. He enjoyed how the warm water helped him relax. This shower was everything he needed.

When he was done, he made sure to retrieve all his things and leave the bathroom as decent as he could. He stepped out of it to see that Yixing had already arranged the room. He had moved the table and the chairs to one corner. Had closed the shutters and unrolled one futon, arranging it in the middle of the room. As for Yixing, he was, for some reason, glaring at the futon. That couldn’t be good.

“Are you trying to throw laser beams through your eyes or why are you glaring?” Sehun asked, placing his things back in his suitcase.

“Someone up there in the sky is mocking us,” Yixing said, his head jerking upwards.

“What do you mean?”

“There’s only one futon.”

Sehun stopped amid extending his towel over his suitcase. “What do you mean?”

“What else could I mean?” Yixing’s glare was now directed at him. “There’s only _one futon_ , meaning we only have _one bed_ again.”

Oh, fucking come on! This couldn’t be happening. Not again!

“Are you sure there’s only one?” he asked, walking to stand next to Yixing.

“Look at the wardrobe, Sehun.”

Yixing was right. In the wardrobe only were the blankets, the pillows, and their jackets.

If he remembered correctly, Kyungsoo had said 'a futon'. A futon as in… only one. He had been so focused on guessing who would get the room that he overlooked that small detail. There was really no one to blame but themselves. It wasn't like they couldn't solve this, though. They could go ask Kyungsoo to provide them with another one and that would solve the issue. But what if he was already asleep? It would be rude to wake him up. No, they couldn’t ask him.

They could then… build a bed with the blankets? That was a good idea. Futon or blanket, they both would still be sleeping on the floor, so there should be no problem with that. But that would mean to give in some of the blankets. What if the temperature dropped and the heating system wasn’t enough? Okay, that option was discarded, too.

What else was left?

Sehun’s brain was dry. He couldn’t come up with another possible solution. He stared at the futon for a moment. It was large. Double without a doubt. It wasn’t as large as the bed back at the hotel, but enough to let them have a lot of space between them.

“We could both sleep in it,” he finally said.

“No.”

“There’s enough room for the both of us. Isn’t that what you said yesterday?”

“I said a lot of bullshit yesterday.” Yixing rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. “I don’t want to share with you again. And I know that you don’t want either, so we should—”

“It’s fine by me,” Sehun interrupted without thinking.

Yixing blinked at him, his eyebrows going up. “What?”

“It’s fine by me,” Sehun repeated and he discovered that he meant it. “The bed was larger yesterday, sure, but the futon is fine. We can both sleep on it just fine.”

Yixing frowned at him, but he had that determined look that told Sehun he was considering the option. That was progress. In the end he sighed and accepted. He took the pillows and blankets from the wardrobe and threw them all in the futon.

Sehun took one pillow and placed it on his side. He lay down facing the ceiling and threw one blanket over him.

Yixing arranged his side, too, and stood up to turn off the lights. He walked back to the futon but he didn't lie down.

“What is it?” Sehun softly asked, for some reason not wanting to disrupt the silence in the room.

“Nothing,” Yixing mumbled and finally decided to get in with his back to Sehun.

He did so right on the very other side of the futon, practically on the edge. Sehun rolled his eyes. There was enough space for them; that was more than clear. And they had gone through this the previous night. Yixing hadn’t had any problems with it. Now he was only being an idiot. But he wasn’t going to be the one to mention it. If Yixing wanted to sleep almost on the floor, that was his business. He didn’t care.

Looking away, Sehun took in a silent breath. It was weird how easily they had adjusted to the circumstances. They had solved the issue faster and way better than the previous night. There had been almost no insults and shouts. They had behaved like the adults they were. That was an improvement. Maybe they would wake up the next day knowing how to be mature and civilized for good.

Or maybe not.

That was most likely not to happen. It was a utopian scenery. Sehun knew that the current mature and civilized behavior wasn’t permanent. It was only their fatigue acting for them. Once they woke up, everything would go back to normal—he hoped it would. Then he wouldn’t have to think about how easy it was becoming for him to have Yixing near for more than a couple of minutes. Or about how easy it had been for him to sleep next to him. Or about the way Yixing looked when he was asleep.

Those were things he didn’t want to think about. Things he couldn’t afford thinking about.

Not right now—or ever, if possible.

His priority was getting to Niseko on time. And for him to succeed in that, he had to rest and sleep, not to think and confuse himself. So following that train of thought, Sehun finally fell asleep. He did so, completely unaware that he had done it at the same time that a small snowflake had fallen from the sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yixing, sweetie, nobody up above the sky is mocking you. It’s just me. I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m not. :))))))
> 
> I know I said I’d update once a day, but I think I’ll move it to one chapter every two days. It's not bc I wanna leave you wondering for a long time (it partially is ksjkd), but bc as I said, work's been crazy. Sorry for that. :( But there are only four chapters left, so that should make it up a little bit.
> 
> Thanks for reading! See you in two days! ♥


	6. Chapter 6

**December 12th, 2019**

_2 days before the competition_

The rumble of the window brought Sehun back to consciousness, though it wasn’t enough to wake him up completely. He wiggled under his blanket, adjusting his sleeping position. He was having a good sleep. With the blankets over him, surrounded by warmth, the smell of coconut, and a gentle pressure on his stomach.

_Wait._

He moved, his eyes still closed, trying to get off the pressure. He didn’t succeed. He opened his eyes and stiffened.

Was that…

Was that an… arm over his waist?

That was definitely and arm, but it was _not_ his arm.

Turning his head, he came face to face with a mop of black, curly, coconut-smelling hair displayed on his shoulder.

What. The. Actual. Hell.

Yixing was lying on his side, facing him. With an arm thrown over his waist and his head resting next to his shoulder. He was still sleeping. The sound of his soft breathing near Sehun’s ear was proof of it.

That same fluttering from the previous morning reappeared in his stomach. Sehun felt like throwing up.

He wanted to get Yixing’s arm off him and push him away, but there was no way he could do that without waking him up. He didn't want to wake him up. Hell would break loose if Yixing saw in what kind of situation they were in. So he didn’t move. He didn’t even breathe. What was he supposed to do now?

He risked another glance at Yixing. The shutters were still closed, so there was barely light in the room, but he could see him perfectly. He couldn't believe he was witnessing Yixing's most vulnerable side. One where he had all his walls down and was completely exposed. One where he looked soft, at peace, and like the kind of person nobody would mind waking up with in the morning. Because looking at him was like looking at a sculpture carved by the Gods. Every single one of his features was maddening perfect.

Maybe the Gods _had_ sculpted him. They surely put so much effort in it. From his nose, to his cheekbones, to his jaw and his… lips.

His lips.

They were… entrancing.

Yixing was so close that if Sehun leaned in just a little bit— no. _What?_

His stomach climbed up to his throat. He was seriously going to throw up.

Not being able to deal with Yixing's closeness anymore, he decided he didn't care whether he woke him up. He had to get out of there and he had to do it now. He took Yixing's wrist and tried to raise his arm—he went stiff again. Yixing stirred, rubbing his face on Sehun’s shoulder, but he didn't wake up.

Okay.

Good.

Sehun tried again.

This time he could raise Yixing's arm, but Yixing stirred once again. Sehun let go, placing the arm back on his waist.

_Goddammit, Yixing._

He was about to go for his third attempt, when another loud rumble of the window made the job for him. At the sound, Yixing frowned and rolled away from him, breaking all physical contact, _thank, God._

Sighing, Sehun threw an arm—his own arm—over his face. He hadn't signed up for this. He hadn't signed up for anything, actually, but still. What the fuck?

Next to him, Yixing made a sound close to a whine. He was probably stretching or rubbing the sleep off him. Cool. He was awake now, too.

Sehun moved his arm down, getting it off of his face. Yixing was looking at him, his eyes still heavy with sleep.

“Morning,” Yixing mumbled. His voice was hoarse and Sehun's heart gave a jump.

“Good morning,” he mumbled back, still very weirded out.

“What time is it?”

“I’ve no idea.”

Sehun placed his arm back over his face. He heard movement next to him, and then Yixing was padding around the room. The continuous—and annoying—sound of the windows rumbling was still there. The wind had to be strong for them to sound like that. The sound of Yixing opening the shutters joined the wind’s concert, and then—

_“Holy shit!”_

Sehun removed his arm. Yixing was standing at the window, with his face being the epitome of disbelief. Getting rid of his blanket, he sat on the futon.

“What’s going on?”

Yixing didn’t answer. Feeling a slight concern creeping up his chest, Sehun stood up to see by himself.

Once he was in front of the window, he realized what had Yixing so shocked.

On the other side was a heavy snowstorm— _no._ Not a snowstorm. A blizzard. There was a fucking blizzard happening out there, the wind blowing snow without mercy. He couldn’t see anything through the windows. Anything but snow. Snow everywhere.

Holy shit, indeed.

“It’s snowing,” he said, only to break the tense silence that had fell upon them.

This seemed to take Yixing out of his stupor.

“I love how you state the obvious as if you had discovered something nobody else knew,” Yixing deadpanned, glaring at him.

Sehun made a disgusted face. “Don’t talk to me like that.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Did I offend you?” Yixing put a hand on his chest, faking his concern. “Because honestly, I don’t care. There’s a fucking snowstorm out there, and in case you hadn’t realized, it means we’re stuck here for God knows how long!”

With each word, his tone of voice raised. He was now yelling and that was everything Sehun needed to snap at him, too.

“What's your damn problem?!” he yelled back. “Stop picking up on me! You knew this was bound to happen!”

“Wait! Wait!” Yixing held out his hand. “What are you talking about?”

“The snowstorm, Zhang!” Sehun exclaimed. “The forecast said that it was heading downwards and it was expected to cover the whole country in a matter of days.”

This made Yixing frown. “I didn’t know about that.”

“Well, that’s your problem. I told you but you didn’t pay attention.”

Yixing shook his head. “No, you didn’t tell me.”

“Of course I did!”

“No, you didn’t. I know I always ignore you on purpose, but I’m sure I would remember if you would’ve told me.”

Yixing’s frown was deep. His eyes were frantic, moving around the room. He was going through his memories, trying to remember whether Sehun had told him or not. But he wasn’t finding anything. And so Sehun began to doubt.

Had he told him about the forecast or… not?

He was sure he had done it.

That was what he was supposed to do at the airport, after all.

Yixing had asked him to check the weather and he had done it. He remembered telling him that it was still snowing in Hokkaido. That had been after Yixing had rented the car. Though if he recalled correctly, he had jumped from that to asking whether it was safe to do the trip. He hadn’t mentioned any forecast.

So he hadn’t told him at the airport.

But then, Chanyeol had updated him a few times—still snowing, nothing had changed. But he had kept their conversations to himself, hadn’t he? He never disclosed anything to Yixing and Yixing never asked, meaning that—

Shit.

Alright, so maybe there was a small possibility he hadn’t told him anything about it and _shit._

“How long have you known this?” Yixing carefully asked.

Shit. Shit. _Shit._

“Since day one,” Sehun said. “When you put me to check on the weather at the airport.”

Yixing’s eyes widened and the disbelief came back to his face. “What the fuck, Sehun?! Why the hell hadn’t you said anything?!”

“I forgot, alright?!”

“You forgot? You forgot?!” Yixing let out a sarcastic laugh and raised one finger. “You had one job. One, Sehun! And you still managed to fuck it up!”

“I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry!” Sehun was flailing his arms, completely distressed now. “But you _can’t_ blame me. You have a phone, too. You could’ve made your own research!”

“Checking the weather was part of _your_ responsibility! We had agreed to it.”

Sehun snorted. “We didn’t agree shit! You only ordered me to do it!”

“And what did you expect me to do?” Yixing asked. “You think that everything I do has the intention of harming you! If I had asked for it in a civilized and educated way, you would’ve made a fuss of it.”

“No! I— _God!_ You’re so fucking insufferable!” Sehun yelled, putting his hands to his head. “You’re so annoying and so full of yourself! And I can’t stand you! I wish I hadn’t come with you!”

“The fucking door is right there!” Yixing yelled back, extending his hand towards the door. “Nobody’s forcing you to stay! You can leave if that’s what you want.”

Sehun rolled his eyes and began walking towards the door. “That’s exactly what I’m going to do. I don’t have to deal with more of your shit.”

“Don’t forget to keep the eye rolling,” Yixing said when Sehun walked next to him. “Maybe with a little bit of luck you’ll find a brain back there.”

“Fuck you,” Sehun said and pulled the sliding door open. He didn’t even bother closing it again.

He needed to put 100 kilometers of distance between them, but that wasn't possible. So he would only go downstairs and wouldn't go back to the room unless it was necessary.

His hands were clenched in fists and his breathing was heavy. He wanted to scream and throw everything around. How had he ended up with Yixing? He would never stop questioning it to himself.

Fuck his morning thoughts. Yixing wasn't soft or someone he would want to wake up with in the mornings. He was a bastard, and an asshole, and he hated him. That was something that would never, ever change.

He couldn't wait to get to Niseko to get away from him for good.

As he came down the stairs, he found the other guests going in and out their rooms. They all looked at him whenever he passed them by. He wasn't sure if it was because they recognized him or because of his fight with Yixing, but he could only hope it was the former. He had forgot about the other guests in the house. Now he was embarrassed for throwing such a show for them. He made a mental note to pay this to Mr. and Mrs. Kimura. His money wouldn't fix it, he knew that, but it was the least he could do for the inconveniences.

As he entered the dining room, he found Baekhyun sitting at the table with a cup of tea and his laptop in front of him. The guy looked up from his screen and raised his eyebrows.

Sehun ignored him. He moved to the kitchen and looked for something to prepare his breakfast. Or lunch. Or whatever it was people ate at this hour. He didn’t know what time it was. He found rice, miso soup, and meat on the stove. It was perfect. He took a bowl from the cupboard and served himself rice and meat. He found a small box with tea bags and took one to prepare a cup of green tea. He placed it all in a tray and turned around to find a seat.

There was barely anyone. Only Baekhyun and other three people, all of them distributed in the two tables and at the counter. Cursing in his mind, he chose the same table as Baekhyun, but he took the furthest seat from him.

He hadn’t even sat down when Baekhyun closed his laptop and pushed it across the table until it was in front of Sehun's tray. Phone and cup of tea in hand, Baekhyun sat in front of him.

Fucking perfect.

Sehun chose to pretend he wasn't there. Taking his chopsticks, he mixed the contents of his bowl and began eating.

He was three bites ahead when Baekhyun decided it was okay to speak.

“Tough morning, uh?”

But it was _not_ okay to speak.

“Shut up,” Sehun mumbled.

Baekhyun didn't care. “We all heard you, you know? It was very boisterous. You both sounded quite worked up.”

“Baekhyun, shut up.”

“Why were you arguing?”

“Baekhyun!”

The other three people looked at them and Sehun felt a blush creeping up his cheeks.

“Sorry,” he said at them and turned to Baekhyun. “Could you please leave me alone?”

Baekhyun shook his head. “I won't leave you when you're upset.”

“I'm not—”

“You are,” Baekhyun said, waving his hand towards Sehun's bowl. “Now eat. It'll get cold.”

Sehun didn't go against that. He brought his chopsticks to his lips, placing rice in his mouth. He stared at the table, his eyes near where Baekhyun had placed his phone. He wanted to know the hour but he had forgotten his phone in the room. He wasn’t going back there, so he would wait until Baekhyun got a notification to check the hour.

As if on cue, the screen turned on, showing him that it was almost 1pm.

He blinked, not believing his eyes.

It seemed that fate didn't want Yixing and him to leave Nagoya. What prevented them from doing it was the snowstorm, sure. But even if the snowstorm hadn't happened, they would've still been late to leave to Tokyo. Meaning their plans, their schedule, would've been ruined. So, in conclusion, it didn’t matter if he hadn’t said anything about the snowstorm. Fate had decided beforehand that they wouldn’t leave Nagoya today.

This was unbelievable.

They had fought for nothing, because they had been screwed since the very beginning.

Wonderful.

“You’ll get wrinkles soon if you don’t stop the glaring,” Baekhyun said out of the blue.

Sehun looked at him, startled. For a moment he had forgotten he was there.

“What was it this time?” Baekhyun asked. Sehun raised one eyebrow and Baekhyun smiled. “Your fight. Why were you arguing for? Was it the volume of your voice? The way he munches his food? The way you drink water? The ugly ringtone of Yixing's phone? Or was it the way you tie your shoes? I’m curious, do you recycle the reasons why you argue?”

Sehun couldn't avoid the way his face cringed. All those things were ridiculous. Extremely ridiculous. And yet that hadn't stopped them from being, as Baekhyun had said, the reasons why his and Yixing’s arguments began. Listening to it from another person's mouth was terrible, almost humiliating.

He wasn't going to comment anything on that matter. He only shrugged and continued eating.

“I've always wondered if one day you'll end up punching each other,” Baekhyun said. “Would you? _Have you?_ ”

Sehun didn’t even wait to chew well. He swallowed his food as it was so he could reply.

“I would never lay a finger on him,” he said. And he wasn't lying. They had been at it for years and never, not even once, had they let it escalate that further. They had never gone physical, and they wouldn't start now—or ever. He was sure Yixing would agree with him in this.

“I still can't help wondering,” Baekhyun said. “It would be a good story for the news.”

“We're not your circus, Byun.”

“I’m joking. Take it easy.”

Sehun frowned, disgusted at Baekhyun’s horrible sense of humor. Had he always been like that? He couldn’t tell. He had never had this much interaction with him but he didn’t care that much. It wasn’t like they would become friends. Once the competition passed, they would go back to normal. Which reminded him…

“How did you even end up here with us?” he asked. “I know that you followed us, but how did you know we were on that flight? Do you have access to that kind of information?”

“Of course not, don’t be silly!” Baekhyun frowned and straightened on his seat, looking offended. “I was at the airplane minding my own business when I saw that Yixing was there, too. I wasn’t going to do anything. I assumed we were both going to the competition. But then I saw you at the departure lounge and I told to myself, _‘Hm… This can’t be a coincidence.’_ “

“It was,” Sehun said. “I hadn’t seen him until I was lining up.”

“Don’t take it personal, but I don’t believe you.” Baekhyun shrugged and took a sip of his tea. “I would’ve dropped it had you left it all at the airport. But then you chose to leave the airport. And together, for that matter! In the same car! Don’t tell me that isn’t suspicious.”

“It’s not!” Sehun exclaimed. The other three people looked at him again and he lowered his voice. “It was a coincidence I found him there.”

“That’s not the case.” Baekhyun shook his head and crossed his arms, leaning back on his chair. “I stand with my theory that you’re planning something.”

“You don’t have a theory.”

“Oh, I do!” Baekhyun smiled, looking proud of himself. “I think that you planned this trip all along. That you decided to take the same flight, but on different class so nobody would notice you were flying together. It was the perfect tactic to disguise it all. Of course you don’t want people knowing.

“But unfortunately for you, I know _and_ I was there to discover you. Now I need to wait for you to confess or to get distracted and stop acting. It’s a matter of time, really. The question here is, what's the thing that you don't want people knowing about?”

Sehun groaned, throwing his head back. “Drop that, already. We're not hiding anything. Do you think I would willingly accept to undergo this type of torture?”

“In case you hadn’t realized it, you willingly accepted to undergo this type of torture. You're literally here with him.”

“He was the one who offered. If you want answers, you’ll only get them from him,” Sehun said, his voice sounding defensive. “Go ask him why he made me part of this shit-trip, instead. And once you’ve got your answer, come and tell me, because I still can’t understand why he would do that if he swears he hates me.”

Baekhyun raised his eyebrows, then squinted at him. He was thinking, and hard. His face scrunched up, as if trying to piece a thousand-pieces puzzle together. Sehun imagined his brain working, with the smoke coming out of it from the effort. He saw the moment when it all clicked in his head. His eyes widened and his eyebrows raised again. He looked completely baffled.

“You haven’t realized it, have you?”

Sehun blinked at him. “Realized what?”

“Oh, my God, you haven’t!”

Baekhyun gaped and his bewilderment only increased—increasing Sehun’s confusion at the same time.

What the hell was he talking about now? Sehun couldn’t keep up with him. It was impossible. He opened his mouth to ask, but the words never came out. The sound of footsteps behind him made him turn back to see who it was. He found Kyungsoo entering the room with a cup of tea on his hands.

“Are you bothering him again?” Kyungsoo asked, as soon as he sat next to Baekhyun.

“Kyungsoo! He hasn’t realized it yet!”

Kyungsoo stared at him for a moment, before he turned to Sehun, his eyebrows raised. The eye contact was weird, or so Sehun felt. Kyungsoo looked like he wanted to say something, but he decided to go against it. He looked back at Baekhyun.

“That’s not anyone’s business, but his to find out,” he said. “Leave him alone.”

“I can’t leave him alone!” Baekhyun was excited. He was practically jumping on his seat. “This is even better than I had thought! Minseok will have to give me a promotion. Or at least a raise. I still need to thank him for sending me instead of Zitao.”

“You should finish eating,” Kyungsoo said, going back to look at Sehun. “You need to be well-fed for the competition.”

In the middle of the disaster his morning was, Sehun felt himself laughing at that. Kyungsoo smiled at him and began talking to Baekhyun, distracting him from doing more of those weird comments.

After a while, they included him in the conversation, too.

They talked about a lot of random things. About Kyungsoo’s cooking skills and Baekhyun’s impersonating skills. Or how Kyungsoo had arrived to Japan—this time told by Kyungsoo himself. Or why he still helped Mr. and Mrs. Kimura from time to time on the guesthouse. Or why everyone had chosen their professions. Or why snowboarding was better than skateboarding. Or why Baekhyun hated washing the dishes… It was almost as if they were helping him to forget how shitty the start of his day had been. And he didn’t voiced it out loud, but he was grateful for it. They were trying—or so he thought—even if it was kind of obvious that his focus was somewhere else.

Whenever someone walked in the dining room, Sehun couldn’t help turning around to check who it was. It was as though his body reacted on its own, expecting the person walking in to be Yixing and not any other guest. But it was all in vain, because every time he turned around, it was always any other guest, not Yixing.

This went on and on for hours. By the time he realized his butt was sore from sitting for so long, Baekhyun’s phone screen said it was past 5pm. He didn’t know where time had flown by, but he was grateful he had spent it focusing on other things that weren’t only Yixing or the snowstorm. Otherwise, he would’ve gone crazy.

He was proud enough not to want to admit it, but every time he argued with Yixing, it was as though a tornado destroyed his mind. It was exhausting. Starting from listening to Yixing’s ramble, going to deciphering the meaning behind it, to end up thinking about a counter back as good as Yixing’s.

Not every time did he succeed, and it was embarrassing. It made him seem like he couldn’t keep up with Yixing—which was somehow true. When it came to attack a person verbally, Yixing was the king.

Sehun didn’t have that much luck. Most of the time, he ended up mumbling nonsense. Causing Yixing to laugh and give him more material to bother him with. So yeah, it was exhausting and the more time it passed, the more tiring it got—that was why he sometimes wished they could stop. For the sake of everyone around them, but mainly for them.

He wished, but it was hopeless. Because he knew Yixing didn’t think the same and Sehun wasn’t going to be the one to ask for the ceasefire _and_ lose.

“Alright, kids,” Baekhyun said, interrupting Sehun’s thoughts. “I really need to pee and take a shower. Last night I went to bed without one. Don’t move. I’ll be back.”

He stood up and almost ran out the dining room, taking all his things with him. When he disappeared, Kyungsoo stood up.

“Would you like more tea?” he asked, walking towards the stove.

“I’m fine, thanks,” Sehun said. He took his cup in his hands and played with it, sliding it from hand to hand.

“If you don't mind my question, why are you so upset?” Kyungsoo asked once he was back at the table.

Sehun raised his eyebrows. Why did everyone tell him that? Well, not everyone. Only Baekhyun and Kyungsoo, but still. Those were way too many people already.

“I’m not.”

Kyungsoo hummed. “Is it because of Yixing? I heard your fight.”

“I'm so sorry about that,” Sehun said, guilt and embarrassment creeping up his chest.

“It's alright. It happens all the time here.” Kyungsoo smiled and sipped at his tea. “And I assume it also happens all the time with Yixing and you, doesn't it?”

“Yep…” Sehun made a pop sound at the end, and then shrugged. “That’s what we do. Nothing’s new.”

“Isn’t it tiring?”

 _Always,_ Sehun's mind said.

“Yeah, sometimes,” he said.

“Haven't you considered stopping?”

Sehun smiled and looked down at his cup, playing with it again. “I have… Several times. But Yixing doesn't want that, I don't think.”

“Have you ever asked him?”

“I know it.”

“I wouldn't be so sure.”

Sehun looked up again to find Kyungsoo giving him a soft smile. “What do you mean?”

“I… I've seen enough of you both to know that maybe Yixing wouldn't mind. But also, you can’t assure Yixing thinks something if he hasn’t explicitly said it.”

“But he hates me,” Sehun said, giving him a confused look. “He’s said it many times before. That counts.”

“Does he say it all the time or only when you’re arguing?”

Sehun blinked, taken aback. How was he supposed to know that? He had never paid attention to Yixing’s timing. It could happen at any moment.

“I don’t know, but he’s said it. And I’ve said it, too, so it’s pretty clear what’s going on.”

“Is it?” Kyungsoo asked. He folded his arms on the table and tilted his head, with some sort of curiosity reflected on his face. “Because I really feel that it’s not clear to either of you.”

Sehun frowned, not getting his point. He was still as confused as before. Though Kyungsoo probably interpreted it as something else, because he immediately apologized.

“I’m overstepping my boundaries, aren’t I? I’m sorry.”

“No, no… It’s fine,” Sehun said. “I’m just confused. What do you mean it’s not clear to either of us?”

Kyungsoo shrugged. “I’m only saying that maybe you don’t understand what’s going on between you two. Like…” He stared at the table, deep in thought. “If you really hate each other, why would you agree to go all over Japan with him? Or why would he offer you to come with him? If I were you, I wouldn’t like to have my sworn enemy, who I hate so much, near me. I wouldn’t have to think it twice. But you and Yixing did. You considered it and agreed to it. That’s why you’re both here.

“From how I see things, it’s like you’ve accepted your rivalry as some sort of responsibility. So you're basing your thoughts and feelings for each other on that. Then you _don’t_ hate each other, but you think you do, because that’s what rivals are supposed to do.”

At that moment, Sehun’s mind exploded.

He had never seen it like that. Kyungsoo’s perspective was on another level. Although considering their current situation, maybe he was right, in some way. Nobody in their right mind would do what Yixing and he were doing. Not with someone they hated. It was absurd and it made zero sense. Yet here they were, arguing every minute of the day, but still not leaving the other behind.

It was ridiculous, but maybe, _just maybe,_ what Kyungsoo said was true. Meaning that maybe, _just maybe,_ he would be able to call a truce to their feud for real. Sehun couldn’t imagine living in a world where Yixing and he didn’t argue. It was weird and it seemed impossible. But he wouldn’t deny it was tempting.

“If I may offer one word of advice,” Kyungsoo said, smiling at him, “you should try asking Yixing what he thinks about this. About what I’ve said and your relationship. Consider it. He could surprise you.”

“Is this what you do in therapy?” Sehun asked, half joking, half serious.

Kyungsoo snorted and shook his head. “Of course not. I never advise my patients. That’s not how it works.”

Sehun hummed, but didn’t add anything else. They stayed in silence for a moment, before Kyungsoo told him to wait and left the dining room. It was at that moment that he realized that they were alone. There were no other guests sitting or eating. Sehun wouldn’t deny he was surprised about it. He hadn’t even realized when he had stopped noticing people walking in or out.

A few minutes later, Kyungsoo was back, holding a bottle of… Was that whisky? He placed it in front of him on the table, then went around it to sit back in front of Sehun.

“If I were your psychologist and we were in therapy, I wouldn't give you this,” Kyungsoo said, jerking his head towards the bottle. “But I’m not your psychologist and we’re not in therapy, so take it.

“Mr. and Mrs. Kimura receive guests from many parts of the world. A lot of them like to give them a gift as a way of thanking them. Most of them go the easy way and buy them alcohol, so now there’s a storage full of bottles of different kinds of it.”

Sehun eyed the bottle. He wasn't understanding what the whisky had to do with his and Yixing's issue.

“Do you know why Baekhyun was so insistent on helping you?” Kyungsoo asked, confusing him even more. Sehun shook his head. “He was sure we would be the first ones to witness the 'fall of a legendary rivalry', as per his own words. He thinks you're close to discovering something, though he hasn't explicitly told me what that is.”

Sehun blinked, now understanding Baekhyun's weird behavior. Of course he had wanted to help them. It wasn't only because he was a good guy, but because he was seeking to get something, anything, to use for his articles. He hadn't been lying when he had said he was suspicious about them, the idiot. Neither Sehun nor Yixing had planned anything, but maybe Baekhyun's guess was close to what he was thinking at the moment.

“I know you’re not ready to befriend Yixing tonight. Or tomorrow. Or in a month,” Kyungsoo said, taking Sehun out of his own thoughts. “But you do want to, so take the bottle. Once you decide you’re ready to talk to him, maybe you could have a drink with him as a sign of peace.”

Kyungsoo was so confident. So sure that it would work. That Yixing and him would end up being friends for real. Sehun couldn’t help but laugh. The idea was ridiculous. Yet he couldn’t help being curious about what Yixing would say about all this.

He could ask him… He had time tonight, he guessed.

He didn’t know if the snowstorm had stopped or not, but even if it had, they were stuck in the guesthouse at least for the rest of the night. There was no better way to kill time than discovering if making a real truce with your biggest rival was actually possible.

“I could try right now,” he said.

Kyungsoo raised his eyebrows and his eyes widened slightly. “Really?”

Sehun shrugged. He knew it was a big deal, but if he didn’t do it now, he would never do it. Once getting to Niseko, he would never be alone with Yixing again. They would go their own ways. The competition would take place, then they would go back to their own lives. So if he was going to do it, it had to be now.

“Just don’t get drunk,” Kyungsoo said, trying to suppress a smile. “I don’t think you would like to be hungover before the competition.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time,” Sehun said. And it wasn't a lie, though that was a story for another day.

“Good luck, then,” Kyungsoo said, standing up. “I’m confident we won’t hear your screams all over the guesthouse again. Don’t fail me with that.”

Sehun apologized again for that, but Kyungsoo only waved his hand. He smiled down at him before walking out the dining room.

Standing up, too, Sehun walked to the kitchen. He wasn’t sure how he was going to do it, but he _did_ know he hadn’t seen Yixing come down at all. And if he didn’t have food hidden in his suitcase, then the idiot had skipped his meals.

He heated the food and prepared two bowls of rice with meat and a few vegetables. He made two cups of tea and placed it all on a tray. He took chopsticks, napkins, and the bottle. Without thinking it longer, he walked out the dining room. As he walked down the hall, he prayed for this shitty plan of his not to backfire him as his plans almost always did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so. For those who were looking for a hug when they woke up, well............. there it goes. Kinda. It wasn't a real hug nor was it a fluffy scene, but. Yes. Sorry. :( Tho something BIG is coming!!! Do you really think Sehun will try and make peace with Yixing? Do you think it'll work? Do you think Yixing will agree?
> 
> Idk, let's wait and see how that goes... :)))))))))))))))
> 
> Take care of yourselves, okay? Have a nice day/night! ♥(:


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Buckle up, guys. These are 11,782 words of uTTER MESS ! ! ! ! 
> 
> Enjoy, I guess? :))))))))))) 
> 
> ❄ 
> 
> **TW: Use of alcohol.**

Was bringing Yixing food too much? It was weird, wasn't it? He would suspect Sehun was up to no good, even if he didn't have any nefarious intentions.

It wasn't as if Sehun cared, though.

That was the least of his concerns.

He was about to do something that would or would not change everything and he preferred to do it with a no-hungry Yixing. So bringing him food wasn't that weird.

When he got to the third floor, he found the door closed. He bent down to place the tray at the floor, but immediately straightened again. He didn’t want to leave the food there. He turned on his spot, looking for where he could put it, but there was none. The small space between the door and the stairs had nothing but an empty floor.

Fuck.

He stepped closer to the door, trying to hear what was going on inside. There was no sound coming from it. Maybe Yixing was sleeping. Or in the bathroom. Or maybe he had escaped through the window, leaving him alone—

The door slid open.

Sehun startled and the tea sloshed in the cups. He gave the tray a quick glance, making sure he hadn’t spilled it—he hadn’t, _phew_.

“How did you know I was here?” he asked, once he had composed himself.

Yixing was standing there, giving him a confused and— _what a surprise_ —annoyed look. He had taken a shower no so long ago. The mess of curls on top of his head still looked wet and his clothes were different now. A pair of dark gray sweatpants and a yellow sweater that seemed way too big for him, making him look fluffy.

“I saw your shadow against the door and your steps sound like an elephant climbing up the stairs,” he said and crossed his arms. “What are you doing here?”

Sehun walked past him and into the room. “What do you mean? This is my room.”

It looked the same as when he had left. The futon was still on the floor, with the blankets and the pillows in disarray. The low table was still pushed to the corner. That was convenient, in some way. They would spend another night there, so now they didn't have to arrange it all again.

“Thought you wanted to leave.”

“I changed my mind,” Sehun said, standing at the table. “Come on, I brought us dinner.”

He placed the tray on the table and arranged everything. He sat in one of the low chairs and looked up. Yixing was still standing at the door, frowning at him. There was an evident question mark on top of his head—and Sehun didn't blame him. This was completely out of character. It was weird, even for himself.

“What's this?” Yixing asked, eying him suspiciously.

Sehun shrugged and patted the other chair. “Thought you might be hungry. I promise it's not poisoned.”

Yixing stared for a couple of seconds before closing the door. He hesitated for a moment before he got close and took a seat.

Sehun waited for him to take the first bite so he could start eating, too.

They did it in silence.

Sehun didn't dare to speak, fearing he might say something that could anger Yixing. He could feel Yixing's eyes on him from time to time, but he didn't look up. Not even once. He fixed his eyes on his bowl of rice and focused on eating.

The sound of their chopsticks hitting their bowls and the soft rumble of the wind hitting the windows were the only noises in there. But the air around them was tense. Like the calm before the storm. Like they were keeping things at bay long enough to eat and then start screaming again. Sehun could only hope they wouldn't start screaming again. Two heavy fights in a day was more than he could handle.

When their plates were empty, before the silence turned awkward between them, Sehun asked, “Are you done?”

Yixing nodded. “Thanks.”

Sehun offered him a small, tiny, awkward smile. He cleaned the table, placing the dishes back on the tray.

“I'll take them down,” Yixing said and Sehun didn't stop him.

He helped him opening the door and saw him disappear down the stairs. He didn't bother to close the door.

He walked back inside the room and looked for his phone. He hadn't used it all day, so when he found it, he saw he had several texts and missed calls from his mom and Chanyeol. There were no updates about the snowstorm, so he only replied to his texts. He would call everyone later.

Once he finished, he stood by the window. It was still snowing, but it wasn't as heavy as in the morning. Now he could see what was out there. A bed of bright snow covered everything. The little daylight was starting to disappear, giving way to the darkness brought by night.

He took in a deep breath and put his forehead against the cold glass. He was beginning to doubt whether he should make peace with Yixing or not. He didn’t even know how to start. He had never thought he would be in such a situation. He didn’t have a plan—which wasn't a surprise.

His hands were clammy. His heart was pounding hard inside his ribcage. His breath came out in shaky puffs of air. His throat had gone dry.

He was nervous.

Goddammit, _he was nervous._

And it was ridiculous.

He was going to offer a peace agreement, not to ask Yixing to go on a date. His nerves made no sense at all. But there he was, feeling as though he had a tornado destroying everything on its wake inside him.

Yixing not coming back wasn’t helping at all, either. What was taking him so long? He had only gone to leave the tray. That couldn’t take him more than a couple of minutes. What if he had escaped? Not that he could go somewhere, but—

“What are you doing?”

Stepping away from the window, Sehun looked back to find Yixing standing at the door.

“Nothing,” he said. “Where were you?”

Yixing gave him a weird look. “At the kitchen? I washed the dishes.”

Ah… Made sense, now.

Yixing gave him another weird look, but didn’t say anything else. He closed the door, but he didn’t turn around.

As Sehun stared at his back, he felt like throwing up. He was nervous, but he had to do it. Otherwise he would chicken out and every intention of befriending Yixing would go down to hell. He took in a deep, deep breath and turned his hands into fists.

_Get a fucking grip, Oh._

“Listen—” he started.

“I want to—” Yixing said at the same time.

They stopped amid sentence. Sehun cringed. Yixing turned around, his face contorted with awkwardness and amusement.

Sehun shook his head. This was so, so ridiculous. Had he already mentioned that this was ridiculous? Because this was ridiculous.

He breathed in again and gestured Yixing to go first.

Yixing cleared his throat. “I…” He made eye contact for a brief moment, then stared down at the floor. “I want to apologize. For this morning. I snapped at you for no reason and it was wrong. So… I…” He looked up again. “I’m sorry.”

Sehun blinked at him, completely dumbfounded.

That had been… unexpected.

“You don’t have to accept my apology,” Yixing added when Sehun didn’t reply. “I know it’s hard to believe and I don’t blame you, but I wanted to apologize, anyway.”

“It’s fine,” Sehun found himself saying. And it was true. “It went out of control but I contributed. I had my part on that, too, so it's alright.”

Yixing gave him a confused look. It seemed like he wanted to say something, but he only nodded and broke eye contact again.

“Yifan called a few hours ago,” he said instead, walking into the room. “He said there's a possibility the FIS will postpone the competition.”

And just like that, everything was forgotten—kind of. That wasn't what Sehun had expected, but he was okay with it. They had apologized and that was it. There was nothing else to say on that matter, lest they wanted to make it awkward. It was enough for the time being.

He leaned on the wall, with his head resting on the window. “Chanyeol told me about it. Do you think they will?”

Yixing sat on the futon, with his knees bent up and his arms crossed, resting on them. “I've no idea… But I hope they do.”

“Why?”

“Because we won’t make it on time.” Yixing sounded completely defeated and that made Sehun’s stomach churn. “Even if the snowstorm stops tomorrow, we’re still way too delayed.”

“How long would it take us?”

“Almost nineteen hours. I checked.”

“We could drive nonstop.”

Yixing shook his head. “Don’t be ridiculous, I would never let you do that.”

“Why not?” Sehun asked and Yixing gave him a deadpan look. “No, seriously. Why not? Just think about it. If we leave tomorrow morning—let’s say at 8. We would be getting to Niseko on the 14th at… what? 3am? The competition starts at 9, doesn’t it? We would still have time to rest a little.”

“That’s a terrible plan,” Yixing said, frowning at him. “Nineteen hours is the less we would do, supposing nothing goes wrong. At this point, I wouldn't mind risking it and helping you driving. I would try. But even if we got at 3, indeed, by the time we've checked in and got in our rooms, it’ll be almost 4. The competition starts at 9, yes, but we have to prepare ourselves before that.

“At least I do it three hours in advance, which means that I’ll wake up at 6. I would only sleep two hours. That’s completely insane. And we’re not even considering the possibility that the snowstorm won’t stop by tomorrow morning.”

Sehun sighed and slid down until he was sitting on the floor. Yixing was right. It would take a toll in both of them and even considering doing it was already exhausting him. They couldn’t do anything but wait.

“I was so sure we would make it, you know?” Yixing suddenly said, bringing Sehun’s attention back to him. His forehead was now resting on top his arms, making his voice sound muffled. “The chances of success were limited, sure, but I was confident. You’re so determined that you would’ve got us out of there whatever it took.”

“You think I’m determined?” Sehun couldn’t help asking.

Yixing scoffed. “Don’t let it go to your head.”

Sehun felt a small smile creep up his lips. He shook his head but didn’t comment anything else on the matter.

“Why did you ask me to come?” he asked, instead, feeling like this was finally the moment to clear that doubt out.

He didn't receive an answer right away. It took Yixing so long, that for a moment Sehun thought he wouldn’t reply at all.

“You're an experienced driver,” Yixing said.

Sehun narrowed his eyes at him. He could tell Yixing wasn’t telling him the whole version. He was sharp, fast, and smart. It never took him long to get a reply, unless he had to think about it thoroughly. He was omitting part of the information. That Sehun was an experienced driver wasn't only it.

“And why else?”

“There’s nothing else.”

“I'm sure there’s more.”

Yixing turned his head to his side, enough to glare at him without getting his head off his arms. Sehun only raised his eyebrows and waited. Yixing shook his head and huffed, breaking the glare and going back to bury his face in his arms.

“I didn’t want to leave you there,” Yixing said. “Nobody knew when the flights would restart and I didn’t like the idea of you waiting alone. Happy?”

Sehun’s heart did a jump. What did that even mean? A warm feeling spread through his chest. It was super strange and he tried his best not to smile, laugh, or make any sound or facial expression at all. But he failed and snorted—causing Yixing to glare back at him.

“Stop smiling!” Yixing straightened, getting his head off his arms. “It wasn't because I care about you or something as stupid. It was because you _are_ an idiot. Who knows where you would've ended. Probably kidnapped and sent to some jungle on the other side of the world. I couldn't let that happen. You had to get to Niseko so I could kick your ass for the last time.”

Every sign of amusement went away as fast as it had arrived. Sehun frowned, staring at Yixing like a dumb. “What do you mean the last time?”

As soon as Yixing realized what he had said, he gaped at him like a fish. His eyes were so wide, they might as well pop out their sockets.

Did Yixing mean what he was thinking he meant?

“Yixing—”

“Don't.” Yixing raised his hand in front of him and shook his head. “You… You have to promise you won't tell anyone about this.”

Sehun wanted to promise it, but he was completely lost at words. He only managed a soft nod, but that was enough for Yixing. The latter stared at the floor for a moment before sighing and closing his eyes. He ducked his head and hugged his knees again.

“I… I’ve been thinking,” Yixing started. “For quite a while now, actually. About… retiring. Once this competition passes.”

And suddenly all the air left Sehun’s lungs.

_What had he said?_

“It’s not something official,” Yixing continued. “I haven’t even told Yifan. You’re actually the first person I talk about this.” At this he snorted, shaking his head. “You, from all people. Unbelievable…”

“Why would you want to do that?” Sehun mumbled, still in shock.

Yixing placed a hand to his head and buried his fingers in his hair. “I’m getting old, you know? And—”

“Luhan and Junmyeon are older than you.”

Yixing curled his lip. “This is not about them.”

“Exactly. This is about you. Zhang Yixing, the best snowboarder out there. You can’t leave like that.”

“I actually can,” Yixing said, raising an eyebrow. “But that’s not the point. Many other talented and younger snowboarders are entering the League. One day, I won't be enough. I won't manage to put up with all of them—all of _you_. Then I won’t have any other option but to retire. I would much rather do it now that people have still some faith in me, than later when everyone will take it as something I had to do because I lost my talent.”

Sehun could only glare at the floor.

In all his time as a snowboarder, he hadn’t thought, not even once, about the small possibility of Yixing retiring. The mere idea of it was crazy. He still had so much to give. Many competitions to attend. Many trophies to hold. Many fights against him to surpass. Sehun couldn’t think about a world where Yixing didn’t snowboard. To think about competing automatically meant to have Yixing there. It was ridiculous to think about it any other way.

Though Yixing had said it wasn’t official yet. That meant he still had to make the decision, which was a relief, but at the same time made Sehun's stomach churn. Because, if he had to be honest with himself, he didn’t want him to retire. He didn’t want to lose a part of his life that was, in some way, constant—as tiring and annoying as it was, he didn’t want to lose that. Yet he wanted Yixing to do what he wished. To see him do whatever he wanted to do. It was his career, and his life, and he wanted him not to lose control over that, no matter what the rest of the world thought.

“Anyway,” Yixing said, frowning down at the floor as well. “I don’t know if I’ll do it yet. That's why I can't sleep. I’m still thinking about it and it's stressing me out.”

Sehun wanted to reach over and smooth Yixing’s frown away. To comb his fingers through his hair and tell him everything would be okay, no matter what he decided. But he didn’t do any of those things. He only sighed, and leaned his head back against the wall. He stared at the ceiling for a moment, before his eyes dropped on the table. On the bottle of whisky, that was waiting at him. He could take a drink of that—maybe more than one.

“Could you bring me that, please?”

Yixing’s eyes followed his line of vision. He squinted back at him, but didn’t comment anything. Surprisingly, he stood up without complaining and walked towards the table. Took the bottle and stared at it for a moment before he passed it to him.

Once it was in his hands, Sehun patted the floor next to him. “I’m bored, and tired, and done with everything and I just…” Yixing narrowed his eyes down at him.” You don’t have to sit if you don’t want to.”

And that, somehow, made the trick.

Yixing slowly slid down, ending with his arm resting next to Sehun’s. “Now what?”

“Now…” Sehun drawled, looking down at the bottle. “We drink this.”

He opened the bottle and without thinking it twice, swung it, letting the alcohol go down his throat. He winced when it burned his chest, but still drank again.

He could feel Yixing's eyes on him. They were intense, piercing, calculating. He was trying to decide whether this was a good idea or not. He didn't really have to think it. It _wasn’t_ a good idea, but they were still going to do it, anyway. So he offered him the bottle. Yixing looked at it for a moment before shaking his head and taking it, his fingers slightly brushing against Sehun's.

“I’m going to regret this,” Yixing mumbled before taking a sip. His face contorted in a funny way and he gave Sehun the bottle back. “Where did you take this from?”

“Kyungsoo gave it to me.”

“Why?”

“Because…” Sehun scrunched his lips, thinking about how to phrase the mess in his head. “I’ve been thinking—”

“So you did find a brain back there after rolling your eyes?” Yixing asked, sounding sarcastic—and like an asshole.

Sehun gave him a pointed look. “You have your whole life to be a jerk. Could you, I don’t know, give it a break tonight?”

Yixing snorted and rested his head back on the wall. “As you wish, your majesty.”

Sehun shook his head, a small smile dancing in the corner of his lips. That phrase, he had heard it many, many times before. Yixing loved to use it. And Sehun loved it, too. Because it was sarcastic, but it was the less insulting among Yixing's wide collection. It sounded like something they would share between each other if they were friends. Which reminded him…

“As I was saying,” he repeated and gave the bottle a sip. “I’ve been thinking that you push all my buttons.” Yixing gave him a look. Sehun decided to ignore him. “You push all my buttons. And you’re a patronizing asshole, and a jerk most of the time— _all the time._ And you’re probably the most annoying person I know—”

“What to do mean ‘probably’?” Yixing interrupted him. “Is there someone else out there even _more_ annoying than me?”

“Shut up.” Sehun snorted and gave another sip. “What I mean is that you're all those things, and more. But I don’t want to do this anymore.” He waved his hand between them. “I don’t want to… I don’t want to fight with you. Not anymore.”

He saw from the corner of his eye how Yixing whipped his head to stare at him. He could imagine his face—eyes wide, lips open, showing his emotions in the palm of his hand. Dropping all his composed walls because of his surprise.

He turned to look at him, with his head still against the wall. And yes, he had imagined Yixing’s face right. He rested his eyes all along his features before Yixing looked away.

He knew Yixing was thinking about what he had said and he wasn’t going to pressure him. It wasn’t like he didn’t have the whole night to wait.

Silence extended until they had downed the bottle right past the middle. Sehun could feel Yixing relaxing next to him more and more as time went by. For a tiny moment he wondered if they should stop. He was good at handling his alcohol, he didn’t get drunk that easily, but Yixing… well. He wouldn’t last that long, that was for sure. Though Sehun wasn't going to be the one to stop him. Not after being the one who had started it.

“I did have a plan, you know…” Yixing suddenly said. “It was true that I chose you because you could drive and I didn't want to leave you alone. But I also had another thing in mind.”

Sehun pushed his head away from the wall. “And that is…?”

“I know this will sound ridiculous and you won't believe me,” Yixing said, dragging his finger in the floor. “But I had the intention to, you know… get along. With you.”

Sehun gaped at him, not believing his ears. “You’re not being serious.”

“But I am. We argue _all the time._ We insult each other _all the time_. I won't lie, it was fine at first, and it became our thing. But we're not kids anymore. We're almost 30 and—”

“No, we're not!” Sehun exclaimed, his voice sounding louder than normal.

Yixing sent him a deadpan look. “I'm 28, you're 25. Or 29 and 26, depending on how you see it. That's way too close to 30.”

“No, shut up.” Sehun scrunched his nose, as if smelling something disgusting. He refused to believe they were getting… old.

“What I mean is,” Yixing continued, trying to suppress his smile, “that it was getting tiring. Arguing with you leaves me exhausted. So I wished we could just…” He shrugged and brought his knees to his chest, hugging them. “I thought that if you came with me, you would realize that I’m not the big bastard you think I am. That you would get to know me. The real me. Then we could become friends, at least.”

Sehun's heart skipped a bit. What did that _'at least'_ mean? He wanted to ask, but his mind was busy with something else. Yixing was voicing this big, huge news aloud in front of him and he had to focus on that.

He placed the bottle on the floor between them and pushed himself away from the wall. He moved to sit facing Yixing.

“It sounds stupid, doesn't it?” Yixing asked.

“It doesn't,” Sehun immediately said. “What I said about not wanting to fight you anymore, it's not a lie. I do want to get along with you.”

Yixing stared at him for a long time, deep in concentration, before breaking eye contact and drinking from the bottle. “What do you suggest then?” he asked and whipped his mouth with the back of his hand. “If we’re going to do this. To try to… amend the things between us. We need to start getting to know each other. How should we do it?”

“We could ask each other questions.”

Amazing, wasn’t it? Sehun was proud of his idea. It was perfect.

Yixing snorted and let his knees fall back on the floor. “Alright, then. You start.”

“What’s your favorite bubble tea flavor?”

This time, Yixing laughed. It was a glorious sound and Sehun found himself indulging in it. He didn’t have that much chance in listening to Yixing’s laughter, even less to be the one who had caused it.

“Is that your question?” For real? Yixing asked and Sehun nodded. “Alright then… My favorite is… I don’t know. I don’t drink it that often.”

“You should,” Sehun said. “It’s perfect. The best thing to exist in this world.”

“What about yours?”

“Chocolate.”

“Isn’t that like… super sweet?”

“The best thing to exist in this world,” Sehun repeated. “Your turn.”

Yixing hummed, deep in thought. He had his eyes fixed on the floor. “How did you meet Chanyeol?”

Sehun raised his eyebrows. “Chanyeol?”

Yixing nodded. Sehun searched in his brain to bring his childhood memories back.

He started his story from back when was 6. His family went on vacation to Pyeongchang to ski. But his brother had broken his leg, so he had to take the skiing lessons alone. The instructor, called Mr. Park, was super good at it. He was patient and kind, and he was so good at teaching that in a matter of an hour, Sehun managed to learn the basics. He was ready to go skiing, but Sehun didn’t want to do it alone. So the man introduced him to his son so they could make each other company.

“Chanyeol?” Yixing asked, interrupting the story.

Sehun nodded and continued—after Mr. Park's introduction, Chanyeol and Sehun spent the whole day skiing. Since he liked the kid, he dragged his family there every winter break so they could play together. It became some sort of tradition. Then when he was eight and Chanyeol ten, they learned to snowboard. Chanyeol did it for fun, but Sehun was different. He knew the moment he managed to go down his first slope that that was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.

Then, the year when he turned twelve, Chanyeol fell sick and Sehun's brother had taken his girlfriend with them, so Sehun had to snowboard alone. A dude from the FIS happened to be vacationing at the resort and saw him snowboarding. And when he was heading back to the resort to find his parents, the man approached him and tried to talk to him. But since he was a stranger, Sehun freaked out and ended up running away from him for 30 minutes.

At this, Yixing burst into laughter and Sehun couldn’t help but laugh, too. He took that moment to drink again, since his throat had gone dry from speaking. The whisky didn’t help, but it was better than nothing, he guessed.

“Anyway,” he continued. “We reached the resort and I had no other option but to stop. Then I found my parents and the man explained them that the FIS was going to hold some tests for the Children’s Snowboarding League. My parents talked to me. Asked I wanted to do it. I accepted.”

“But…” Yixing drawled, staring at the floor. “You never made it.”

Sehun shook his head. “I had to go and test myself during school time should I enter the League. My parents didn't like that, so I didn't go to the tests. But the recruiters were pretty insistent.

“They called one day and said that if I kept on training, maybe once I got older I could get another chance. Not for the Children's but for the Big Leagues. My parents then talked to Mr. Park and that’s how I started training. I only did it on vacations, but that was enough. I had talent, so it was never hard for me to adapt again after so long. At least that's what people say.”

“Stop being humble. You're talented,” Yixing mumbled. “You should see yourself… You’re a sight to behold.”

Sehun frowned, but he felt a smile settling on his lips. “Are you already drunk, Zhang?”

Yixing shook his head.

Yeah, he was already drunk. He would never be that careless in voicing his thoughts aloud, otherwise—not that Sehun was complaining, though.

“What happened next?” Yixing asked, moving his hand around, signaling him to continue.

“I kept on training for years. Then when I was eighteen, the resort organized an amateur competition. You know how those are like—”

“Like pots of gold for the FIS, yeah…” Yixing interrupted.

Sehun knew that Yixing could relate. That was how the FIS had discovered him, after all. When he was sixteen, back at Changsha in a small snowboarding tournament. He had left the recruiters open mouthed. Of course he had. Obviously he made it to the Big Leagues in no time and became the prodigy of the continent, maybe even the world.

He could still remember the first time he saw him snowboarding. Life was never the same after that. Because if watching Sehun was a sight to behold, watching Yixing was like watching a wonder being brought right down from Heaven.

“Hey…” Yixing pushed his arm lightly, bringing him back to reality.

“The recruiters were there,” Sehun continued, as though his mind hadn't wandered away. “I won, they saw, and that's how I got another chance to test myself.

“Now, going back to Chanyeol, he was there with me along the way. We grew up and learned together. But he's always preferred to be backstage, orchestrating everything, just like his dad. He learned everything he needed to learn from Mr. Park, so when he decided he was old enough to retire, he passed the reins to Chanyeol. We both trusted him with that. We knew he could do it. And apparently he did it, because look where we are, now.”

“Drunk and stuck in fucking Nagoya, eight years later,” Yixing mumbled, nodding to himself.

Sehun snorted and shook his head. “I didn't mean it literally.”

“Ah…” Yixing nodded again and shrugged. “Well. Thanks for sharing. Your turn.”

Sehun snorted again and gave the bottle a long gulp.

What did he want to know about Yixing? _Pff!_ Many things! He wanted to know everything. Every small detail, every dream, every fear, everything that made him happy and made him sad. He wanted to know him—the real him, as Yixing had said. He really, really wanted. And he hoped he had enough time to get to do that.

But at the moment there was something whispering at him at the back of his head. Something he had been wondering for years and not even once had had the chance to clear out. Because Yixing was very discreet about his private life and there was no other way for him to know than asking Yixing himself. Then he could clear his doubts once and for all. Well, not only _his_ doubts, but the world's doubts. He knew he was risking it, but his brain was telling him to go ahead. Yixing could always deny to answer and that would be it.

Yixing was looking straight ahead, with his head back to the wall and his hands placed loosely on his lap. Sehun tilted his head, his eyes never leaving Yixing’s side profile.

 _This is it,_ he thought. He was going to do it.

“Are you dating someone?”

He didn’t miss the way Yixing’s eyes widened and how he whipped his head towards him. Yixing looked more awake now, as though the question had sobered him. He schooled his face again, turning it into a scowl.

“We didn’t agree to ask personal questions, Oh.”

“We agreed to get to know each other, though. I’m sure that it includes knowing if you’re in a relationship.”

“No! That’s not—” Yixing looked flustered now and it was kind of funny. “I’m not going to talk about my love life with you. Change your question.”

“Come on,” Sehun said, pushing Yixing’s leg with his fist. “If you tell me yours, I’ll tell you mine.”

“Why would I want to know that?” Yixing frowned, moving his leg away. “Why are you so fixated on this? What’s it to you?”

“I’m curious.”

“Why?”

“Because I’ve never seen you with someone. I wonder if that’s because you’re not interested or you’re good at keeping your relationships in secret. Or maybe you’re a shitty boyfriend and nobody wants to be with you. Or you—” Sehun stopped amid rant to squint at him. Yixing had leaned away from him and was moving his leg. He was nervous. _Bingo._ ”There’s someone, isn’t it?”

“No.”

“There is.”

“No.”

“Yixing—”

“There’s no one!” Yixing said, looking completely done with Sehun’s insistence. “I’m not dating anyone. I’m single, alone, free, available. Whichever you prefer. _Jesus,_ why are you so annoying? You’re worse than Byun.”

Sehun blinked, processing Yixing's words. “For real?”

Yixing rolled his eyes. “Yes, Sehun. For real.”

“But there’s certainly someone.”

“What have I told you?”

“No, no.” Sehun shook his head and his hands at the same time. “I get that you’re not dating anyone, but you _like_ someone.”

Yixing frowned again and opened his mouth to say something, but Sehun didn’t let him.

“Who is it?”

“What?”

“Who’s the person you like?”

Yixing scoffed and crossed his arms. “You’re the last person I would ever think of telling to.”

And there it was.

“So there’s someone, indeed! I knew it!” Sehun exclaimed. His chest bubbled with pride and something else. Something uncomfortable he couldn’t recognize.

“You knew shit,” Yixing spat.

“Come on, tell me! Who is it? We’re becoming friends. Friends talk about this.”

“But only when they already know each other’s favorite color or some shit like that.”

“Purple.”

“What?”

“Your favorite color is purple.”

Yixing blinked a couple of times, then he frowned, with the ghost of a smile in his lips. “Listen here, you little piece of nosy shit,” he said, pointing a finger to Sehun. “That you know my favorite color doesn’t guarantee that I’ll talk to you about my crush. So give up already. I won’t tell you anything about him.”

Sehun’s eyebrows shot up and his mouth fell open. That cleared two of his main doubts—was Yixing dating someone? No. Was he into girls or boys or both? For the time being, the answer was boys.

His heart was thumping hard against his chest and his hands were clammy again. Was he drunk, too, now? He didn’t know. But he wasn’t going to make a fuss about the whisky or Yixing’s words or his own reaction to them. Not now, not ever.

Taking in a slow, deep breath, trying to be discreet, he pretended everything was okay, and cool, and fine, and—

“Did you suddenly forget how to speak?” Yixing asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sehun gave the bottle of whisky a long, long gulp and cleared his throat. “Does he… Does he know?”

Yixing snorted and snatched the bottle away from his hands, drinking the same as Sehun had.

“He doesn’t?” Sehun asked. Yixing stayed in silence, but that worked as an answer. “Why not?”

Yixing fixed his eyes on him. It was as though he was studying Sehun’s features, trying to memorize them and making sure he didn’t miss any of them. Sehun felt small, vulnerable, even. He was sure that Yixing was looking right into his soul and that was scary—though not less exciting, he surprised himself thinking.

Yixing looked away after a while, staring down at his lap, with a small smile adorning his lips. “He’s not interested.”

“How do you know that?”

Kyungsoo’s words echoed in Sehun's head— _”You can’t assure Yixing thinks something if he hasn’t explicitly said it.”_ They had a different context, but he guessed that they applied still the same. Yixing couldn’t assure this guy wasn’t interested in him if he hadn’t explicitly said so. He told Yixing what Kyungsoo had said—only the bit about assuring something, not the context behind those words—and he only got a laughter in return.

“You're not expecting me to believe some philosophical words from a guy we’ve just met,” Yixing said.

“He’s a psychologist!”

“So what? You weren't talking about this, so it couldn't apply the same.”

Sehun frowned. He couldn’t believe Yixing wasn’t taking Kyungsoo’s advice with the seriousness it deserved. But he knew that he was bound to lose if he started an argument about it. So he chose to drop it and focus his attention back on his main task in hand.

“When did you realize that you like him? Or how?”

Yixing groaned. “I won't tell you this.”

“Come on, spill!”

Shaking his head, Yixing sighed. His smile had widened a little bit, so they were still walking on safe floor.

“We were…” he started, staring at his lap. “We were arguing. I don't even remember why. The only thing I know is that he was screaming at me and I was only thinking about how much I wanted to kiss him. It was so… disconcerting. And disappointing. I thought I was better than that.”

Sehun couldn't help but laugh and Yixing hit him lightly.

“It's not funny!”

“You're disturbed,” Sehun said.

“Just a little bit.”

“For how long have you liked him?”

“It’s been a while…” Yixing bit his lip, blank staring at the floor. “Six years? I don't know. I'm drunk, I don't remember how to count.”

“Those are… quite a lot of years.”

“You tell me… The worst is that the more time passes, the more I like him. It's so frustrating.”

Sehun nodded, guessing it was hard. And interesting, too. Apparently he wasn't the only person Yixing fought with. Who would this guy be, then?

“Tell me who he is,” he said.

“I’m certainly _not_ going to do that.” Yixing reached the bottle of whisky and drank. He offered it to Sehun and the latter accepted it without missing a beat.

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t want to tell you.”

“Fine,” Sehun said after drinking again and placing the bottle back on Yixing's lap. “Then I’ll have to guess.”

He moved to sit back against the wall. His shoulders were resting against Yixing's, their thighs almost touching. This was the closest they had ever been and it was weird, but he wanted to stay there. Because he could. Because he had nowhere else to be. Because it felt… right. Being there with Yixing felt just damn right.

He realized he liked it.

He liked it a lot.

“Do whatever you want,” Yixing said, with the mouth of the bottle near his lips. “I won’t contribute to this nonsense. You already know more than you should.”

“Listen here,” Sehun said. “I’ll tell you my guesses about his characteristics and you’ll tell me if I’m right or not. If I guess many of them right, you’ll tell me who he is.”

“The hell I’ll tell you. Stop it now, Oh. I won’t do this.”

“Alright, so. I think you… might be… into someone kind looking. Maybe even cute and adorable. But still buff, or at least athletic, since you’re an athlete yourself. Around your height, or shorter, since you like to win in everything. With curls to match your own and a couple of dimples like yours. Skin as pale as yours, too, so you can go around being the Draculas. Super smart, literate type. Someone who can keep up with you in every argument and debate. Am I right?”

Yixing snorted, making a funny face at him. “That’s utter bullshit. No.”

Sehun groaned and stole the bottle again. “Did I get at least one thing right?”

“Only the athletic part.”

“Of course,” Sehun said, rolling his eyes. “How does he look like, then?”

“Oh! No!” Yixing laughed, shaking his head. “The agreement was for you to guess, not for me to tell. Stuck to your rules.”

“How am I supposed to figure it out?”

“That’s not my problem.”

“Okay, fine,” Sehun said. He could do this. He would die trying to. “First, height. I said around yours or shorter, you said no to that, so taller, then?”

“Definitely.”

“How tall?”

There was a soft crease between Yixing's eyebrows, where he was deep in thought. He turned his head to the side and squinted at him. “How tall are you?”

Sehun raised his eyebrows. “Me?” Yixing nodded and suddenly Sehun forgot his height. Was it… How tall was he? “Uh… Six feet?”

Yixing hummed. “Well… Six feet, yeah. Something like that.”

 _Oh…_ okay.

“What about his body? Is he…” Sehun scrunched his nose up, not knowing how to phrase it. “You said athletic, but—”

“Super fit,” Yixing said. “Not buff. Just… well-defined. What’s that word that describes thin but strong?”

Sehun made a face. Was there a word like that?

“I don’t know…” he said. “I don’t think it exists.”

“No, no! It does! I’ve seen it before. Baekhyun uses it a lot. I have it on the tip of my tongue.” Yixing snapped his fingers, as if doing so would help him remembering.

“Why is Baekhyun relevant in all this?”

“Lean!” Yixing exclaimed. “It’s lean, yes.”

Ah… _lean_. Sehun now remembered it. Was that what lean meant? Because Baekhyun did use it a lot when writing articles about him— _‘Oh Sehun, our lean, broad-shouldered athlete’—_ and Sehun didn't like it. He always felt insulted.

“But isn’t lean like, a synonym to lanky?” he asked.

“No, he's not lanky,” Yixing said. “He's… He's slim, right? But he's got toned muscles. In his arms… and his legs… and just… everywhere.”

Now that Sehun paid attention, Yixing did sound drunk. Probably had for a long time. His words were slurred and senseless and yet he was still so fucking perfect, the actual bastard.

“I love when he wears skinny jeans and plaid shirts, you know?” Yixing said, blank staring at the floor. “Though everything looks good on him. Because his shoulders are like, super broad, and his back— _god_ , _his back._ It's muscled and strong and so, so broad. I love it. So much. It's magnificent.”

As in automatic, Sehun's hand moved to touch his shoulder blades. He had a strong back. And broad shoulders, too. Was that attractive for Yixing, then?

He looked around on the floor, trying to find the bottle. He needed a drink and the whisky had disappeared— _oh_. It was in his other hand. Never mind.

A frown appeared between Yixing's eyebrows. He had to be focused on remembering the guy's back, and… Uhm… The weird feeling intensified in Sehun's stomach. It was getting hard to ignore and it was annoying the hell out of him.

“Stop getting horny over a stranger in front of me!” he exclaimed, scowling.

Yixing leaned his head on the wall and huffed out a laugh. “He’s not a stranger.”

“Wait. Do I know him?”

Yixing snorted and took the bottle, drinking instead of replying.

Alright, Sehun didn't care. He would discover his identity without any help. He could do it alone.

What he knew was that Yixing’s stupid crush was tall _and_ lean. With a perfect back and broad shoulders. So far he seemed like an ugly guy, to be honest. He would give him the benefit of the doubt, of course, but he was sure that Yixing's crush was ugly.

Anyway…

“Hair,” he said, pushing the topic far from broad shoulders and lean bodies. “What's his hair like? Black? Brown? Blond? Do you like blond hair?”

“Hell yes, I do.” Yixing nodded and then laughed. “You remember that time when you dyed your hair blond and we fought because I told you that you looked like a corn?”

Sehun scowled. He did remember. “Don't bring that up, Zhang. Chanyeol didn't let it die for months!”

“I was teasing you, you know?” Yixing laughed again. “You didn't look like a corn.”

“I never dyed it blond again because of that!” Sehun whined, pushing his shoulder against Yixing. “I liked how it looked, you idiot!”

“I did, too,” Yixing said, still laughing. “It looked good. You looked good. You should dye it blond again. Though you look good with any hair color. Why don't you go for rainbow again?”

Sehun hummed, not sure if rainbow would look good now that he was older and more mature. He would pull it off, obviously, but he wasn’t sure. Although blond wasn't that bad of an idea. Maybe he should dye it once he was done with the— _no, stop it_.

“Stop distracting me!” he exclaimed. “You're diverting the attention towards me. We're not talking about me right now!”

Yixing looked confused. “We're not?”

“No.”

“…I think we are.”

“No, shut up. You're distracting me.” Sehun snatched the bottle, but didn't drink. He secured it in his lap, deciding he wouldn't share his whisky anymore. “Back to business. What color is his hair?”

Yixing stared longingly at the bottle, but frowned in concentration once the question reached his ears. He extended his arm and buried his fingers in Sehun's nape. “What color is this?”

It had to be the alcohol in his veins what stopped Sehun from moving away. Yixing fumbled with his hair in the gentlest way he had ever felt. It was as though he were caressing something delicate and precious. And it was _weird_. But it felt… good. So, so good. He liked it. He didn't want Yixing to stop. He involuntary shivered at the contact. Without his consent, his eyes closed and he leaned into the touch.

 _“God, I always wanted to do this…”_ Yixing whispered in Chinese.

Sehun wasn't sure what Yixing meant with that, but he wasn't going to think about it now.

“It's brown, isn't it?” Yixing said, back in Korean. “Your hair.”

Sehun opened his eyes, looking at Yixing's droopy ones. They stared at each other for a moment before Yixing retrieved his hand. Sehun missed it as soon as it was gone.

“I would say so,” he finally mumbled, adding an exaggerated shrug. “Something between brown and black, I don't know.”

Yixing snorted, leaning his head back again. “You don't even know the color of your hair. What an idiot.”

“Told you not to be a jerk tonight.”

“Right… Right… Sorry. Continue with your… interrogation.”

“Is he also an athlete?”

“Yes.”

“Snowboarder?”

“Yes.”

“Is he in the league?”

“Yes.”

“Chinese?”

Yixing shook his head. “Korean.”

Oh… There were quite a few Korean snowboarders in the league. Could he discover his identity based on his… age? It made sense. He could start discarding some of them if he knew that ugly guy’s age—if he was Yixing’s age, his options would be down to one. The only one in the league with Yixing’s same age was Junmyeon. He couldn’t remember anyone else.

If he was older… Did the league even have older Korean snowboarders than Junmyeon? He wasn't sure. Not that he remembered. But it was still an option. Maybe Yixing was into someone who had already retired. He didn't know. It was a possibility, but still he didn't know.

Now, if the crush was younger, though, well… that increased the possibilities. It could be Jongdae, or Jongin, or Taemin. Or that Taeil guy, or— _You,_ his brain uselessly provided without Sehun even asking.

What the hell?

He was going delusional. He was deranged and very much drunk and— _wait._

Was he drunk, too?

He didn't feel drunk.

Was he, though?

He wasn’t, was he?

Dammit, _he was._

“Is he older than you? Younger? Your same age?” he asked, trying to distract his brain from giving him any more ridiculous thoughts.

“He's younger,” Yixing said.

Okay, good. Younger, then.

“What about his eyes?” Sehun asked. “Are they—”

“Gorgeous?” Yixing interrupted. “Definitely. Never had the chance to look at them up close, but I've seen pics. They're like a pair of perfect brown-ish jewels. And when he smiles, they just…”

Yixing smiled and Sehun couldn’t help but stare. Looking at Yixing smile whenever they were near was almost impossible. That almost never happened. But it _was_ happening now and for a second he wondered what it would feel like to have Yixing smiling at him, with his dimple full on display. It was something he would never know, but it didn’t stop him from wondering, anyway.

He blinked a couple of times, trying to get tattooed the image in his brain. He would’ve succeeded, hadn’t his brain provided him with useless information— that smile right there was _not_ any kind of smile. It felt private. Like a smile meant to be shared between Yixing and… his crush. Because Yixing was thinking about his crush. There was no doubt about that. And for some reason, the mere thought of it made Sehun's stomach churn even harder. It made him uncomfortable. It made him _sick_.

Shaking his head, he took his mind out that way of thinking. He moved back to think about eyes and it was then when it hit him.

“I haven't seen yours,” he mumbled, lolling his head to face Yixing.

Yixing blinked, taken back to reality from any weird dream he was having. “What?”

“Your eyes. I haven't seen them up close.”

Yixing's mouth fell open, but he didn't break eye contact.

Sehun had never thought about Yixing's eyes before; not consciously, at least. But now that he _was_ conscious of his desire to see them—and now that he _could,_ too—he realized that he should've done it a long time ago.

They were gorgeous, just as Yixing had described those of his crush. They were droopy, yet expressive, even if they looked like a drunk man's at the moment. The little light coming through the window let him notice that they were brown-ish, kind of. He couldn't tell their exact color, but looking at them was like looking into Yixing's very own soul. He could see his emotions dancing in there. Something between confusion, and surprise. Excitement, and amusement. All at the same time, for whichever reason that might be. Sehun realized that he liked it. He realized that he liked _them_. Yixing's eyes were the most beautiful ones in the entire world and in all honesty, he wouldn't mind looking at them more often from now on.

Could he, maybe, look at them from even closer? Was that possible? He wasn't sure, but he wanted to discover it.

He placed the almost empty bottle aside and, without giving it a second thought, he took Yixing by the wrist and pulled him softly towards him.

“C'mere.”

Yixing made a choked sound from the back of his throat and his eyes went wide, but he didn't stop the action. “What are you doing?” he half asked, half laughed, as he stood on his knees to straddle Sehun.

Sehun… well, he wasn't sure. But doing _this_ was probably the only way to look at those eyes from a closer perspective. So he shrugged and waited for Yixing to make himself comfortable.

He tried to pretend there was nothing wrong there. That everything was cool, and normal, and this was definitely something friends did. Whatever it was they were doing. What the hell were they doing? He didn't know, but at least they weren't arguing, so that was a good start.

Staring down at his hand, he realized he still hadn't let go of Yixing's wrist. His skin felt warm under the pads of his fingers. He wondered if it was soft.

Was that a normal thought? No, not really.

Did he care about that? No, not really.

So he began stroking the inner skin of Yixing's wrist with his thumb. Slowly, tentatively, in case it was the wrong thing to do. His brain was sending him a lot of red lights, but he ignored them. He wasn’t going to make a fuss about… _this._ There was no need to. He was drunk and his brain wasn’t working well, and drunk actions never really counted, anyway. So he kept his ministrations over Yixing's skin, loving how it felt under his touch. He made a mental note not to stop and keep his strokes as long as he could. And when a small gasp reached his ears, he confirmed that he wasn't doing the wrong thing.

He looked up to find Yixing staring down at his wrist. The light coming through the window was faintly shining on him. Shadowing his features and accentuating every sharp angle of his face. He was handsome, in every sense of the word. Always had, and would always be. Hell, he was also completely drunk and yet he still managed to look like an absolute god, the annoying bastard.

He let his eyes roam all over Yixing's face for a little bit longer. Yixing was comfortable there, Sehun could tell. He didn't look like he did whenever they were together—annoyed, mad, defensive. He was calm, serene, letting himself enjoy the moment, or at least that was what Sehun believed.

The Yixing right there, as annoying as he was, was the Yixing everyone but Sehun had the chance to interact with. He was used to see him like this, just not with him. Never with him. It reminded him of the Yixing playing the piano at that party all those years back. With his defenses down, completely free and unaware of what was happening in the outer world. Sehun realized he would never be able to witness it again and he wanted to bask in it as much as he could.

“Since when do you play the piano?” he blurted out.

Yixing whipped his head up. He blinked a few times, processing Sehun's words. “How do you know that?”

Sehun shrugged, without stopping his soft strokes over Yixing's wrist. “Saw you at a party once.”

“Did you?”

“Yeah… Never imagined you would be the musical type of person.”

“I'm not. Not really. Not because I don't like it, but… I don't have enough time.” Yixing blanked stared at Sehun's chest before continuing. “I learned when I was a kid. I spent a lot of time with my grandparents because my parents worked. I don't have siblings, so I was always alone. My grandma taught me to keep me distracted. I do it from time to time, now. To distract myself when everything gets… overwhelming.”

A fluttering feeling settled on Sehun's chest. This was something he didn't know. The press had never dove into Yixing's childhood life, so there was little the public knew about it. That Yixing willingly told him this felt like a victory for him. Like a small step given in the right direction.

“For you to do it from time to time,” Sehun said, “you’re quite decent.”

Yixing smiled, his eyes connecting with Sehun’s. “Well, thank you. You're such a flatterer, Mr. Oh.”

Sehun found himself smiling back. He was beginning to like Yixing’s sarcasm. When it wasn't accompanied by some sort of poison, intended to insult or to hurt, it was enjoyable.

“You could play the piano to your crush while confessing,” he provided, going back to his main topic. It was a good idea, he guessed, although for some reason he didn’t like it. Thinking about Yixing confessing his feelings to _that_ guy while playing the piano was a scenario he didn't want to imagine. It was an image he didn’t want to have stored in his brain.

“You think so?” Yixing asked, cocking his head to the side.

Sehun shrugged one shoulder. “Sounds romantic.”

“I don't know if he likes romance.”

“You could ask him.”

“I'm not sure if he would tell me.”

“Why wouldn't he?”

Yixing opened his mouth, then closed it. He pursed his lips, looking pensive.

“What is it?” Sehun asked, tapping Yixing’s wrist with his thumb. His other hand found its way towards Yixing’s thigh. He left it there, tracing with his finger the seam of his sweatpants.

“Nothing, it’s just…” Yixing placed his free hand on Sehun’s chest, his fingers touching the hem on the neck of his shirt. “We don't tell each other such things. We don't tell each other anything. We just… argue. All the time.”

“Is he, like, your enemy or something?” Sehun interrupted, making a face.

Yixing chuckled and nodded. “Yeah.”

“How many enemies do you have?”

A frown settled between Sehun’s eyebrows. Did Yixing walk around making himself enemies on a daily basis? Was Yixing on bad terms with someone else besides Sehun himself? He knew it was stupid, and now that it wasn't applied to Yixing and him, the word ‘enemy’ sounded way too childish and ridiculous for his liking. But he was offended about the idea of not being Yixing's one and only enemy. He felt insulted.

“Only one…” Yixing mumbled, never stopping with his fumbling with the hem.

The initial amusement in his voice had disappeared, giving way to something different. Something that Sehun couldn't identify. Something that quickened his pulse and made his heart jump. He paid it no mind, for he felt he was closer to discover who this guy was. His brain went over the information he had so far—he knew that Yixing's crush was lean and broad-shouldered. Brunet and with brown eyes. Taller and younger than Yixing. Korean, a snowboarder, _and_ Yixing's enemy.

That sounded quite… familiar.

Sehun’s head was working a mile per hour. The answer was grasping the tip of his tongue. Caressing his brain in a desperate way to make it react and finally discover what he was looking for. He knew he had it there, somewhere in the middle of the mess his mind was.

Yixing was staring at him, his eyes wary, yet intense. It was then when Sehun remembered why he had pulled him into his lap to begin with. He couldn’t help staring right into them. They kept him in a trance. He didn’t want to look anywhere else.

That didn’t mean, though, that he wasn’t aware of what was going on with the rest of his body. His heart was hammering hard against his ribcage. His stomach was stuck in his throat. The air he was breathing suddenly wasn't enough. The pulse on Yixing’s wrist felt strong against the tips of his fingers. The smell of whisky combined with coconut shampoo, lavender soap, and something that was entirely Yixing, flooded his nostrils with no mercy. He was well aware of how close Yixing was and how all his senses were so alert because of that.

His eyes were frenzied. They darted from Yixing’s eyes to his nose, back to his eyes, then to his lips, then to his eyes, then back to his lips. They were plump, and pink, and wet, and they looked so, so soft. And maybe, he thought, he kind of wanted to kiss Yixing.

Yixing, the person he hated the most.

Yixing, the most annoying and patronizing asshole in the entire world.

Yixing, his biggest enemy, whom he definitely wanted to kiss.

Sehun dragged a sharp breath in when that information sank in.

_What?_

He forced himself to drag his gaze away from Yixing's lips. His eyes fluttered around, trying to focus on something else. His head was spiraling out of control. His brain was now screaming at him the answer. The answer to all his questions and doubts. The answer he knew—and had probably known for quite a long time now—but didn’t dare to acknowledge. It was there, almost reaching the surface. Somewhere along the way he could even imagine Yixing encouraging him to discover it. Maybe Yixing _had_ encouraged him. Maybe Yixing had not. Sehun didn’t know. His surroundings where blurry and the stupid, fucking bottle of whisky was the one at fault for that.

The only thing that wasn’t blurry was Yixing.

With his handsome face, beautiful eyes, delectable lips, and intoxicating presence. Straddling Sehun as though it were normal. Staring down at Sehun’s lips, as though he were thinking the very same as him.

And then, when he registered what Yixing was doing, his drunk, useless brain hit him with the answer. He swallowed, trying to get rid of the dryness in his mouth and gathered all the courage he could to voice his thoughts aloud.

“One final question,” he whispered, not trusting his voice to come out as it should.

Yixing slowly nodded, though his attention was completely on Sehun's lips.

This, for some reason, clouded Sehun's mind.

He wanted to…

He wanted…

He didn't know what he wanted, anymore. There were still many doubts, many things he wasn’t sure of. But he told himself that he could think about those later. Because now he had an answer, a name, an identity. He only had to confirm it. If Yixing’s description hadn’t given him away who his crush was, the fact that Yixing was enemies with said crush had been the only proof that Sehun had needed. Because now Yixing had said he only have one enemy. So there was only one person who fit into that category. Only one person whom that title belonged to. And Sehun knew that it could only mean one, single thing.

“Is it me?”

The question was out of his mouth before he could prepare himself to listen to the answer. Sehun held his breath, not knowing what to take from Yixing's reaction—the muscles in Yixing's thigh tensed and the pulse in his wrist quickened. Yixing snapped his eyes back to stare at Sehun's own. A lot of emotions were dancing there at the same time. Surprise and confusion were still there, but there was also wariness, uncertainty, and fear. Sehun wanted to hold him closer so Yixing could stop feeling like that. So Yixing could know that he was safe there with him.

As in automatic, his hand left Yixing’s thigh to cup his face. He did it slowly so as not to scare him away. When the pads of his fingers got in contact with the skin on his cheek, it was as if an electric current had run through his body, making him shiver.

Yixing gasped at the touch again, like he had done with the caress over his wrist. Instinctively, he closed his eyes and his expression changed. Those previous emotions weren’t there anymore, giving way to something that couldn’t be anything but pure longing.

Sehun couldn’t help wondering for how long Yixing had wanted this—and also, for how long he _himself_ had wanted this.

Didn’t they hate each other? He was certain they hated each other. He was sure that he hated Yixing, at least. Although now that certainty was getting dubious as time went by. Because if he actually, truly hated Yixing as much as he claimed he did, he wouldn’t have incited the situation they were currently in, to begin with.

He took his time to take Yixing in and relish the moment. The space between their faces was small now. As though a magnet were pulling them closer, not giving them any kind of control over their movements and reactions. Creating some sort of attraction that didn't let them move anywhere but towards each other.

His eyes dropped to Yixing's lips again.

With his thumb he repeated the patterns he had traced over Yixing’s wrist, but this time he did them over his cheek. Yixing leaned to the touch, covering Sehun’s hand with his own.

Sehun closed his eyes, overwhelmed at the speed in which everything was happening. This moment right here felt inevitable. As though fate had intervened and placed a snowstorm over Japan only to have them right here, in this exact situation.

At some point he felt Yixing leaning his forehead against his own. Sehun could hear his ragged breathing, quickened by the adrenaline rush of the moment. It was intoxicating him. He felt drowsy and somehow both in and out of his mind. He seriously, _seriously_ wanted to kiss Yixing. The voice in his head was yelling at him not to think about it and go for it. It could be a small, innocent kiss. Nothing intense. Nothing big. It would only take him to lean in a little bit to know what it would be like. To know what it would _feel_ like.

He could do it.

He would probably do it.

He knew he wanted to do it.

A wave of thoughts flooded his head. He was between doing it or not. He didn’t know what to choose or what to do. But he didn’t have enough time to decide. Because Yixing gave him an answer to his last question, stopping the flood altogether, along with his heart.

“Yes…”

It had been a whisper, so quiet, so low, that hadn’t they been a few centimeters apart Sehun would’ve missed it. But he had heard it and there was no denying to what that answer meant.

So without thinking about it, Sehun closed the gap. He crashed his lips with Yixing's and everything finally felt into place. Yixing's lips were wonderful, and sweet, and tasted like fucking glory. He wished they could've done this sooner. To kiss instead of insult.

Yixing kissed him back with as much intent and fervor as he could. He moved his hands to bury them in Sehun's hair and a ton of sparks ran throughout Sehun's body. He let his own hand find its way to Yixing's waist, while the other stayed cupping his face. He clasped Yixing's sweater, holding him there, close to him. Not wanting him to move away never again.

He didn't want to stop. He loved the way Yixing's lips moved against his own. Loved the way Yixing's tongue slid against his own. Loved the way it felt to suck on Yixing's damn plump lip and the way Yixing gripped his hair because of it. It was everything he could've ever expected from a kiss and he didn't want to kiss anybody else.

For years he had told himself that Yixing was the most despicable person he knew. That he hated him, couldn’t stand him, and couldn’t wait for the day he didn’t have to see him again. But now that his walls were down, he couldn't help but wonder why he had let himself to keep on thinking that for so long.

Probably because it was easier. Way, way easier than admitting that he had a crush on Yixing.

This revelation, he realized, didn’t sound foreign in his head. Like something he had thought about before, but hadn't let himself give it the seriousness it deserved.

For how long had this been in his head? For how long had he liked Yixing?

Those were questions he wanted to answer, but he couldn't. Because he was drunk and he didn’t want to do it in such a state. It was important and he had yet to discover what all this was and meant for him. What it would mean for _them_. How all this would change them and their relationship. Their surroundings, their careers, and everyone around them.

It wasn’t that easy. It was too much for him to handle. He couldn’t let himself lose in the moment and go for it without giving it a good thought. But kissing Yixing was the top priority at the moment. Kissing him and leaving him without air was his main purpose in life, now. He tried to pull him closer, even if there was no more space left between them. The movement, though, made Yixing moan and that was everything Sehun needed to come back to his senses.

They needed to stop. They needed to talk about it before going anywhere. They had to clear things out before anything could happen. And they had to do it without a trace of alcohol in their veins. So as much as he hated it, he forced himself to stop their kiss and pull himself away from Yixing’s lips.

He opened his eyes and took in how Yixing looked—eyes closed, chest heaving fast. Lips agape, glistening and most likely red, and so well-fucking-kissed. It took everything in him not to close the distance again.

He didn't know what time it was, but he felt like sleeping was the answer to clear his head. To sober him enough to think clear. So half mumbling, half whispering, against his own will, what left his mouth was, “I think we should go to sleep.”

And just like that, the spell was broken.

Yixing snapped his eyes open. For a brief moment there was hurt in them, though a blink later, it was all gone. He stared at him for a couple of seconds without a trace of emotion on his face, then looked away and let Sehun’s hair go.

“Okay,” was his simple answer.

He made an attempt to stand up, but he stumbled to the side as soon as he raised his leg to get off of Sehun’s lap. Sehun in automatic extended his arms to hold him, but Yixing shook his head. Careful not to fall, he tried again, steading himself with his hand on the wall. Once he stood on his feet, he stumbled his way into the bathroom, closing the door behind him with a firm thud.

Sehun stayed on the floor, staring at the door. It all happened so fast, that it left him wondering if it had happened at all. He blinked, trying to get rid of the haze he was left in. Trying to put his brain to work so he could understand what was going on.

He felt weird. Confused. Drunk. Sleepy. Tired. Completely exhausted. Physically, mentally and emotionally. It was as though Yixing had taken all his energy with him. Now he was running empty. He needed to rest. So slowly no to stumble like Yixing, or maybe even fall, he moved to kneel on the floor. When his head didn’t spin anymore, he crawled into their futon. He was sure he would be hung over, there was no doubt about it. He was beginning to regret having opened that fucking bottle. It had been useful, _kind of,_ but it would bring him more consequences than benefits.

It was alright, though.

He could deal with everything later, once he had sobered himself up. Once they had sobered themselves up. They would still be there tomorrow came and they would talk about everything in the proper, right way.

He stared at the bathroom’s door, hoping it would open soon. He wanted to know whether Yixing was alright. To make sure he wouldn’t die in there due to alcoholic congestion or something. But as time went by, the door wasn’t opening and his eyes were getting heavier.

He could… He could wait for Yixing to get out with his eyes closed, right? Because closing them wouldn't mean he would sleep… right? Right… Yeah, that sounded quite right.

_Good idea, Sehunnie._

He nodded, feeling proud of himself.

And that was the last thing he did before his brain switched off, making him finally fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick story:
> 
> As you know, this fic was meant to be part of R3 of EXO Seasonal Fest. The confirmation mail from the mods came back in August, so as soon as it happened, I began to work on my prompt. At first everything went pretty well. Words kept coming without a rest and I was really excited, tbh. But then I came across this specific chapter and let me tell you, it was, by far, the worst for me to write. Here's where I got stuck. Like, horribly stuck. You’ve no idea how many times I wrote and deleted, then rewrote, and deleted again. It never felt like it was good enough. It never convinced me enough for me to say, "Yes, this is it! This is what I want for Sehun and Yixing!"
> 
> What you’ve just read is the result of months of struggle and a lot frustration hahaha this chapter alone took me two months to write, and another five months (after I had to drop from the fest back in December) to polish and transform it into something I was content with. In the end, this is what I've got, so I really, really hope it didn’t disappoint you.
> 
> Please let me know what you think about it, whether it's a positive or a negative opinion. Even if you only drop an emoji, it'd still be nice. ✨
> 
> But yes, that was it! Thank you for reading this long chapter and this long note, too. I really appreciate all the support you’re all giving to this pair of annoying boys, so I hope they're bringing you a little bit of fun, too. ♥


	8. Chapter 8

**December 13th, 2019**

_1 day before the competition_

Thump. Thump. Thump.

_“Sehun!”_

Thump. Thump.

_“Yixing!”_

With a jolt, Sehun woke up.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

_“Hey, are you awake? This is urgent!”_

He groaned, each thump blowing in his head like a concrete breaker in a street. He turned to his side, taking the pillow with him to press it to his ears. His head was throbbing, his mouth dry. He needed water and for that damn sound to stop.

_“Guys, I'm being serious! May I open the door? Are you decent?”_

Somewhere next to him, he heard a whine and the rustle of the sheets.

The door then slid open and he turned, enough to see who the hell that was. The room was still dark. God only knew what time it was, but it couldn’t be that late. He blinked, taking in his surroundings—there Baekhyun was in all his glory, wearing a pair of sweats and a big shirt that hung lose all over his torso. His hair was peaking in all possible directions and his eyes were still a little bit heavy with sleep.

_What the fuck?_

He groaned, shutting his eyes again and going back to covering his ears. He didn't even want to know what all this was about.

“Get the fuck out of here!” Yixing exclaimed. A groan escaped his lips right after that.

Sehun hissed, hearing Yixing's voice deep inside his head, even louder than the thumps. He opened his eyes to glare at him. “Could you please keep it low?”

Yixing was resting on his side, facing him. His glare jumped from Baekhyun to him. He kept it there for a moment and looked away, burying his face on his pillow.

“What’s going on here?” Baekhyun asked, ignoring Yixing's order. “Are you hungover? Did you drink last night? Why didn't you invite me over? Are you even allowed to drink before a competition?”

“Baekhyun! Shut up!” Yixing whined.

“Yixing, please!” Sehun exclaimed right after. He wanted to cry. Could someone chop his head off? Was that possible? Would it be illegal? Probably. But he didn’t care.

“Woah, take it easy,” Baekhyun said. “It’s not my fault you got yourselves hammered— _oh!_ Is Sehammered back?”

Sehun took his pillow and threw it at Baekhyun, hoping it would hit him in the face. He failed. The pillow didn't land anyplace near the guy. Annoyed, he whined louder this time, with a pained expression on his face. “What the fuck do you want?”

“There’s no need to attack me! I’m here to deliver the news!” Baekhyun raised an arm, covering himself in case Sehun were to throw something else at him. He waited for a reaction, but none of them acknowledged him. “Aren’t you going to ask what the news are?”

Sehun stared at him, unamused. Yixing didn’t even bother to get his face off the pillow.

“Right. Had forgotten you were boring.” Baekhyun shook his head, looking disappointed. “Anyway, I’m here to tell you that you need to get your boring asses out of that futon. The snowstorm’s finally gone.”

This gave him the reaction he was waiting for.

Sehun exclaimed a very embarrassing, high-pitched, “You’re not being serious!”

Yixing straightened and asked, “Are you fucking with us?”

Baekhyun made an amused face. “Yes, Sehun, I’m being serious. And no, Yixing, I’m not fucking with you. But are you, guys, though?”

Sehun winced at the question, feeling a weird heat crawling up his face. A flash of plump lips and gorgeous eyes crossed his face. He cleared his throat, trying to push those thoughts deep down his brain.

“Ha. Ha. Very funny, Byun,” Yixing said. If he had some sort of reaction with Baekhyun’s question, he didn’t show it. “Now, would you mind explaining us what's going on?”

“Do I have to explain it any further?” Baekhyun asked, still looking amused and slightly confused. Yet again he got no response from them. He rolled his eyes. “The snowstorm stopped last night. For good. The country’s safe now. The local news said the roads would get cleaned before sunrise. The airports said they would reactivate their services at first hour in the morning.”

“When was that announced?” Sehun asked. He tried to sit up without putting so much effort so his headache wouldn't get worse.

“Last night, around 11pm or midnight. I don't know,” Baekhyun said.

“Wait, wait,” Yixing said, sitting, too. He looked slightly composed now. He was good at pretending he wasn't in pain. “You've known since last night? And you didn't tell us?”

Amusement came back to Baekhyun's face. “Kyungsoo didn't let me. Told me not to bother you.”

Yixing made a face. Sehun stopped everything there so it wouldn't go further into a more detailed conversation.

“What are the logistics?” he asked, ignoring Baekhyun's annoying smirk. “How are we doing this?”

“I'll explain everything to you during breakfast. But first get yourselves ready. We're leaving in an hour or two, at most.” Baekhyun turned around and headed to the door, waving nonchalantly in the air. “Don't forget to pack all your stuff. I'll see you downstairs.”

And with that he disappeared through the door, leaving them alone again.

Closing his eyes again, Sehun held his head with one hand. It was still throbbing and he wanted someone to chop it off of his body for real. There was no other person in this world he hated more than he was hating himself at the moment. Stupid bottle of whisky. Stupid _him_. Why did he never think about the consequences of the stuff he always pulled out of his sleeve? He didn’t know, but fuck you, Sehun of the past!

“You didn’t bring aspirins or painkillers by any chance, did you?” he mumbled, massaging his temples with his fingers.

The only response he got was a scoff.

Looking to the side, he found Yixing throwing away the sheets with a pained expression. As he stood up, he took his pillow with him and slowly walked to the wardrobe.

“I didn't notice when you got out of the bathroom,” Sehun said as he stared at Yixing placing the pillow back where it belonged.

Yixing faltered in his movements for a couple of seconds before he crouched down in front of his suitcase. “Were you waiting for me?”

“Uhm… No, not exactly, but—”

“Then what does it matter?”

The answer made Sehun flinch. Yixing sounded defensive and quite hostile. He was used to hear that tone on Yixing's voice, but the truth was that somewhere in his mind, he had assumed that he wouldn’t hear it any time soon.

“Are you going to shower?” Yixing asked as he fumbled with his suitcase.

Sehun raised his eyebrows, not expecting that question. “I— yes?”

“Get yourself moving, then. We don’t have a lot of time.”

Sehun complied without saying anything else. It took a lot of effort to get out of the futon without groaning. He moved as slowly as Yixing had a few moments ago and dragged his suitcase towards the bathroom. He could take his clothes out in there.

He did his best to shower as fast as he could. It was hard, though, considering he had foregone warm water to stay under the cold one. He hoped it would help his headache, even if only for a little bit. He was in automatic mode. Before he realized it, he was already clean, dry and dressed, ready to get out.

He arranged his suitcase and opened the door, stepping out of the bathroom. He found that Yixing had arranged everything again. The futon was gone, placed back into the wardrobe, and the table and chairs were back to where they had found them. Yixing's suitcase and backpack were at the door, but Yixing wasn't there anymore.

Placing his own stuff next to Yixing's, Sehun left the room, not without checking his phone first. It was still early, he realized. Not long after 8am. Chanyeol was probably asleep, so he texted him instead to let him know they were finally moving. He asked him not to call him. He would do that once they were at the airport.

He pressed the send button right before he entered the dining room. There he found some guests, as well as Baekhyun, Kyungsoo, and Yixing.

Someone, most likely Kyungsoo, had prepared miso soup. He served himself a plate and a cup of tea, and walked to the tables

“You're welcome to sit with us,” Baekhyun said. He was sitting next to Yixing and in front of Kyungsoo.

Sehun took the seat next to Kyungsoo, getting a smile from the man. As he was taking his spoon to start, a hand appeared in his field of vision. It was Yixing's. He was placing a napkin with an aspirin in front of him.

“Thank you,” Sehun said.

Yixing only nodded, without looking up from his plate.

“Okay, listen,” Baekhyun said. “I took the liberty to plan this out. I hope you don't mind.”

“What is it?” Yixing asked.

“I was talking to Kyungsoo and we agreed we could drive to Tokyo, as we had planned. I already booked three tickets to Sapporo. On economy class, because those were the only available ones.” Baekhyun twisted his face, looking displeased with the measures he had taken. “We’ll take off at three. Once landing in Sapporo, we could take a taxi to Niseko and that would be it.”

“How long would that take us?” Sehun asked.

“You’ll take off from Haneda to New Chitose,” Kyungsoo said. “Haneda is four hours from here and the flight shouldn’t be more than two. Plus the check-in, check-out. Also the time it takes to get from the airport to the resort… I guess it’ll take you eight, nine hours at most.”

“The only tedious part would be getting to the airport. But it won't be as bad as the entire trip from Fukuoka,” Baekhyun added. He took a sip from his cup, his eyes jumping from Sehun to Yixing a couple of times. “What do you say?”

“It's fine by me,” Yixing said.

“What about you, Sehun?” Baekhyun asked. “Is it fine by you, too?”

“Yeah, I… Sure. Let's do that.”

“Cool!” Baekhyun smiled at him and took his phone. “I'll let Minseok know I'm almost on my way.”

“Is he going to the resort, too?” Yixing asked, though it seemed it was more out of politeness than interest.

“Nah, he'll stay in Seoul,” Baekhyun said, not looking away from his screen. “But he said that if I didn't get there in the next twelve hours, he would send Zitao to cover the competition. I must let him know that there's no need now to book that guy a flight.”

Yixing hummed, but didn't add anything else.

Sehun saw the exchange without losing focus on Yixing's every reaction—which didn't need so much effort, given that he wasn't reacting at all. He was in a pretty bad mood. Now the question was _why?_

“Your soup will get cold,” Kyungsoo mumbled next to him, low enough for him only to hear.

Sehun dragged his eyes away from Yixing to Kyungsoo. The guy was staring at him with a curious expression on his face.

“Are you okay?”

“Hungover.”

Kyungsoo nodded. “So… Did you…?” He glanced at Yixing, implying with his eyes the rest of his question.

Sehun hesitated for a moment and then shrugged. He wasn't sure of what Kyungsoo's exact question was, but it didn't matter. He couldn't provide him a real answer. He didn't know what was going on. Everything felt… blurry. Not like the drunk blurry from the previous night. It was blurry from the lack of understanding.

He didn't speak again. None of them did. They continued eating and once they were all done, everything went on a rush from then on. Yixing, Baekhyun, and him went back to their rooms to brush their teeth and retrieve their stuff.

They moved fast so they could get to the airport as soon as possible. Considering that everyone who had been stuck for the past days was doing the same as them, then it could only mean that the roads would be congested. The airport would be a mess. They didn't even have time to bid farewell to Mr. and Mrs. Kimura. The couple hadn't stepped foot on the ryokan since that first night. Now that the snowstorm was gone, they were out restoring the supplies they needed to get the ryokan working.

Sehun and Yixing still insisted on leaving, at least, half of the money it would normally cost to take the room. Kyungsoo hadn't agreed at first, since the Kimuras had said it was alright. But neither Sehun nor Yixing felt it was fair. The couple had been kind enough to let them stay. Even more after the whole ruckus they had caused the previous morning. They felt in the obligation to pay them. It was the least they could do.

When they stepped outside, the wind blew strong, though not as much as it had before. It was still way too cold, but it was expected. It was still winter, after all. The street didn't have snow anymore, though the branches of trees and bushes were covered in full white. The sky was gray and full of clouds. Sehun had checked the weather, and while it had said that it was still bound to snow, it wouldn't be a big deal. No more heavy snowstorms for Japan.

Starting the SUV, he turned on the defrosters, hoping they wouldn't take long to, well, defrost the gear.

As they waited, he opened the trunk so they could put their suitcases in. He also texted Chanyeol the details, so he would know them, too. Then he joined the others so they could look for the fastest—and safest—route to take. They agreed that Sehun would follow Baekhyun so they wouldn't have to use the GPS again. None of them needed to refill their tanks. The unexpected change of route had helped them save gas, so they could start driving to the airport right away. By the time they had it all arranged, they all guessed the defrosters had already made their job.

“So,” Kyungsoo said, covering half his face with a scarf. “This is it, I guess.”

“Thank you so much for everything you did for us,” Yixing said.

Kyungsoo's eyes narrowed, showing them that there was a smile behind his scarf. “It was nothing. I would've done it for anyone.”

“Liar,” Baekhyun said, elbowing him. “You almost didn't help us.”

“Because I thought you were lying.”

“But you still did, so thank you. For everything,” Sehun said, and he meant it. Not only for getting them out of that expressway. Also for letting they stay in the ryokan and not kicking them out after their fight. Without counting their heart-to-heart about his desire to stop arguing with Yixing. That was something he would never stop thanking him for. Even if he wasn't sure whether it had been helpful or not.

Kyungsoo shrugged, letting his eyes smile at him once again. “It was my pleasure.”

“Now, please don't cry,” Baekhyun said.

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes. “Get in that car and go. You have a plane to catch.”

The three of them said goodbye. They promised to return to visit—although not together, as per Yixing's words. Baekhyun got into his mini car, and Sehun got in the SUV. As he waited for Yixing to get in, he arranged the heating system.

“Is it okay?” he asked, once Yixing was in. “Do you want it warmer?”

“It's fine,” Yixing said. He fumbled with his belt and rested his head on the back of his seat.

Sehun glanced at him. “Are you okay?”

“As fine as ever.”

“Still hungover?”

“Kinda.”

“Did you take an aspirin?”

“What are you? My mom?” Yixing looked sideways at him. He made an annoyed face, though his voice didn't sound like it. It was bordering more on the neutral, almost bored side. “I'm fine, Oh. Now be useful and take us out of here.”

Sehun blinked, slightly taken aback. He still hadn't had enough time to think about what had happened the previous night. It hadn't crossed his mind whether they would act differently around each other or nothing would change. It seemed it had happened the latter. Yixing's half insult had been proof of it.

In front of them, Baekhyun started moving. Sighing, Sehun followed him, hoping there would be no traffic. He didn't want to lose sight of Baekhyun's mini car. He waved one last time to Kyungsoo and drove the SUV to the road and away from the ryokan.

As they moved around Nagoya, Sehun felt like a mess. He didn't speak for a long time, as he was lost in his own confused thoughts.

The only thing in his mind were the feeling of Yixing's pulse on his fingertips and Yixing's lips on his. Now that he was sober, the idea of having that bubbly sensation in his stomach made him sick in a whole different way, though. Accepting he _liked_ Yixing was very new to him. He had yet to get used to it so he could try to figure out where Yixing and him were exactly standing. They hadn't established any sort of resolution to their issues, even less had settled a label to their relationship. They couldn’t even consider themselves friends, even if they had agreed they would try to become so.

Not knowing what the hell was going to happen now annoyed him. His still pounding head was making it worse. But he wasn't an idiot and he knew that if they didn't solve it now, they would never do it. So he cleared his throat, praying to anyone up above that this wouldn't turn out wrong.

“Uhm… So,” he started, trying to sound casual. Granted, he was speaking out of the blue after staying in silence for a whole hour. There was nothing casual about it. But fuck it, he didn't care. “I checked the forecast before leaving the ryokan. Some snowstorms are still bound to happen. Not as huge as last night's, but they will still… you know. Happen.”

Yixing had his elbow next to the window and was leaning his head on the palm of his hand. He glanced at Sehun, with a bored expression. “Will they?”

“Yeah.”

Yixing hummed, not seeming interested in providing a proper answer.

“Yeah, so…” Sehun drawled, thinking hard to come up with something else. “I was wondering, do you think the competition will still be postponed? I mean, it wasn't official but it's not like they'll get to have it all done in a day. So they'll have to postpone it, anyway. Right?”

Yixing took in a deep, deep breath and let out a sighed, “Right…”

Sehun cringed. He wanted to jump out the window and free himself from his current predicament. This conversation was stupid and ridiculous. Completely useless. And Yixing wasn't helping. Now the car was full of a super awkward vibe.

It was evident that they both were choosing to ignore the fucking elephant in the room. Sehun was certain that _he_ was ignoring it. He couldn't speak for Yixing, but he could almost swear that the guy was ignoring it, too. Because Yixing hadn't looked at him since they had woken up. Not even once—that one glare at the futon didn't count. And let's not talk about speaking, because that was another completely lost case. It wasn't like they had real conversations on a daily basis, but what they were having now was plain atrocious. It was as though Yixing was putting all that was in him to speak to Sehun as less as he could.

At this point, Sehun was beginning to doubt whether the previous night had happened at all or if his drunk brain had imagined it all. Now he was desperate to confirm that it hadn't been a dream. That it had been _real_ and it _had_ happened. He still had to talk to Yixing about it, yet he couldn't bring himself to start the conversation.

It was driving him crazy.

Would acknowledging it make it better? He wasn't completely sure, but he would never know if he didn't go against it, wouldn't he?

That was everything he needed to man up and go for it.

“May I ask you something?”

Yixing hummed—which was good. At least he wasn't ignoring him—but didn't look his way nor did he say anything else. It made Sehun uncomfortable.

“Er… Are you sure you're okay?”

A few seconds passed, then Yixing said, “I'm perfectly fine.”

“Are you a hundred percent sure?”

“Why wouldn't I?”

“Did you sleep last night?”

“I obviously did.”

Sehun cringed again. What the fuck was this? It was like Yixing had managed to learn how to answer with only three words. It was getting on Sehun's nerves.

“And what about us?” he asked, deciding to jump right in.

Yixing, finally, looked at him. It was a pity Sehun couldn't really look back.

 _“Us?”_ Yixing asked. Sehun nodded. “What about us?”

“Are we okay?”

Yixing huffed. “Have we _ever_ been okay?”

“You know what I mean,” Sehun said.

“I actually don't.”

Sehun frowned, not liking where and how this conversation was going. “Are you mad at me?”

“I'm always mad at you.”

“Yixing, please. Just—” Sehun took in a deep breath, trying to calm down. He didn't want to lose control. He could handle this without starting a fight. He could do it. “Why are you mad? What did I do?”

“I don't know. What did you do?”

Okay, so he didn't want to start a fight, but Yixing was making it hard. His stupid, patronizing tone was annoying the hell out of him.

“That's not an answer,” he said.

Yixing shrugged. “It's the only one I'm gonna give you.”

Sehun glared sideways at him. “Why are you being so difficult right now?”

“What are you talking about? I'm being lovely, as always.”

“No, you're not.”

“And I'm also being sarcastic, as always. I'm sure your brain can actually understand that.”

That was enough for Sehun to explode.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” He raised his voice and one of his hands left the wheel to slap at the air. “I'm trying to have a conversation here with you, like the fucking damn adults we are, and you're not making it easy!”

“Well, take a hint, dumbass!” Yixing exclaimed, his voice going higher as well. “Maybe we shouldn't be having conversations at all!”

And as simple as that, they were back on track. It had lasted what it had to last, it seemed. A moment of peace, without insults, without hard feelings. Just a pair of drunk, stupid guys, trying to learn how not to fight with each other and get to know each other, and maybe also kissing for a little bit. But just for a night. Sehun had thought that they had given a step forward. Now it felt like they had given five steps backwards, instead.

“Fuck you, Zhang,” he said, not even having enough strength to scream anymore.

“Fuck you, too,” Yixing mumbled, turning his back to him and facing the window.

Not saying anything else, Sehun took this failure of a conversation as finished.

He should've known better. Of course it would never last. They were always on defensive mode. It was their default mode whenever it came to the other. To think that they could manage to become friends or any _other_ thing, had been his most stupid idea in years.

One part of him was relieved that things wouldn't change for them. That they wouldn't have to jump into uncertain waters. But another part of him—the most ridiculous one, at that—didn't like the idea. He didn't want to go back to where they were before. Not now that he knew what it was to be on Yixing's whitelist. What it was to talk to him and fool around. To be a total goof with him, knowing that their bickering wasn't meant to hurt the other. What it was to have him close, within arm’s reach. To kiss him and take his breath away.

But Yixing was an idiot and Sehun was done fighting.

So screw it. Screw it all. He didn't care.

The rest of the drive went in full, overwhelming silence, with a suffocating heaviness in the air. Time seemed to move slower than it should. What was supposed to be three hours left of uncomfortable travel felt like thirty hours instead. So when Baekhyun called them to tell them they were almost there, Sehun relaxed his grip on the wheel.

They had agreed about leaving their cars in the rental-car area first, then go check-in, so that was what they did. The offices weren't as packed as Sehun had imagined they would be. There were only four people in there when they stepped in, which was fantastic. They wouldn't have to wait for too long.

Yixing and Baekhyun queued and Sehun retook his function as the suitcases' caretaker. He wasn't happy with having to do that again, but it wasn't like he could do something else, anyway.

As he waited, he checked his phone. Chanyeol had already replied, so true to his word, Sehun called him. It rang once, then Chanyeol's voice entered.

_“Where are you?”_

“At the airport. Where are _you?”_

 _“I'm already on my way to Chitose,”_ Chanyeol said.

“Wait, what do you mean you're on your way?” Sehun asked, frowning at the floor.

_“I mean I'm on my way.”_

“How?”

 _“Rented a car, of course. Damn rent as expensive as a fucking house, let me add.”_ Sehun could imagine him shaking his head, annoyed at whoever had even rented him the car. _“I'll get to Chitose in an hour, maybe sooner if I step on the gas.”_

“I didn't think you would come for us.”

Chanyeol snorted. _“I'm coming for you. The other two aren't my business.”_

Right. Now that was something they hadn't discussed, had they? He wondered for a moment if Yixing and Baekhyun had called their respective people. He guessed they had. Although if they hadn't, he also guessed they could all get in Chanyeol's car. They were all heading to the same place, anyway. He could ask about it later.

Chanyeol was still speaking, so shaking his head, Sehun put his doubt aside to focus back.

“What did you say?”

_“I'm asking at what time you'll take off.”_

“Three.”

_“So you'll get at… what? Four? How long will it take?”_

Checking the hour in the clock on the wall, Sehun saw it was almost 1pm. According to Baekhyun, their plane would take off at 3. If he followed Kyungsoo's estimation, they would get to Sapporo around 5pm or so.

 _“That's great,”_ Chanyeol said after Sehun explained him the details. _“You'll have enough time to have a proper rest tonight.”_

They kept their conversation for another ten minutes until Sehun saw Yixing walking towards him. He said Chanyeol goodbye and put his phone back in his pocket.

Yixing stepped next to him without saying anything, so Sehun guessed it had all went good for him. They waited for Baekhyun to finish and approach. If the guy noticed there was some kind of angry vibe flowing between them, he didn't mention it.

“I'm done,” he said, folding what looked like a ticket into his wallet. “Are you going to prepare yourselves before getting in the airport? You know, are you going to camouflage to distract the paparazzi?”

“That doesn't work. You're literally traveling with us,” Yixing said, though he was already reaching into his backpack to take out his cap and face mask.

Sehun did the same, ignoring Baekhyun's smug smile. He had to be for certain having the time of his life. Getting to follow them everywhere they went, trying to collect as much information as he could that might be useful for gossip material. Not that he would find anything, though. Yixing and Sehun were back on bad terms, so anything they would do wouldn't be different for Baekhyun.

They moved to get in the airport and start the whole process. In comparison to the rental offices, the airport itself was packed—which wasn't surprising. It was obvious that everyone wanted to get to wherever they were supposed to be before the snowstorm trapped them. Yet it didn't mean that it was a pleasing situation. They could barely walk around, with everyone wanting to get out of there. People moved back and forth. More than once Sehun was pushed around and hit with backpacks or suitcases.

Now they didn't have any chance to keep their distance between people and themselves. A lot of travelers did get the chance to look properly at them. It never took them long to realize who they were, even if they were ‘camouflaged’. Fortunately for them, whoever noticed their presence couldn't do anything but to look and keep on walking.

By the time they managed to get to the check-in area, Sehun's hangover symptoms had come back full force. It was as though they had never left him in the first place. It took a lot of effort on his behalf to stay composed. He would never be disrespectful and snap at people who didn't do something to him. Or to Yixing, maybe even Baekhyun. But it still overwhelmed him not to be able to have his own space.

In the end, it did take them more than an hour to get it all done. They moved to the departure lounge, then, and waited for the speakers to announce their flight.

Even under his cap, Sehun could see Yixing frowning and glaring at every living and non-living being in the lounge. His arms were crossed on top of his backpack and his leg was bouncing. He hadn't uttered a single word since he had walked away from the check-in counter, either. There was no doubt he was as annoyed as Sehun himself was.

As for Baekhyun, he still seemed kind of overwhelmed at the amount of people in the place, but he was still speaking. Nonstop. About those kids playing under the row of seats. About that old couple yelling because they couldn't hear the other over the noise. About that one time he had had to cancel a trip to Hawaii where he would cover a surf competition because he had got a stomachache. About that woman with a huge purse, hitting everyone on her way. About that idol he had seen at the Philippines surrounded with a group of twenty bodyguards. About many other ridiculous, irrelevant stuff that Sehun didn't care about, but still helped him getting distracted.

Eventually, fate took pity on them. The flight was announced and they jumped out of their seats. It took them almost ten minutes to get all the process done. But once they were walking down the aisle that led them to the plane, Sehun felt like he could breathe again.

Baekhyun led the way, with Yixing behind and Sehun walking at the end. Inside the plane, a few people were already taking their seats. The rows were of three seats each. Baekhyun had said that he had been fortunate to find a row for the three of them so as not to separate from each other. Yixing had only snorted at that. While Sehun wasn't sure whether that had been fortunate for him or not, he didn't comment anything on the matter.

At row 8, Baekhyun stopped, gesturing to the seats next to him. Glancing down at his pass, he said, “These are ours.”

Sehun grimaced when he saw the letter 'B' next to the 8 in his own pass. He would have to sit between the other two. Great.

“I got the window,” Yixing said and walked past Baekhyun.

Sehun and then Baekhyun followed suit. They arranged their belongings and sat, waiting for the rest of the passengers to get in.

Like at the departure lounge, they stayed in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Baekhyun was typing on his phone, while Yixing was staring out the window. Sehun on his part was only thinking about how uncomfortable he was. His legs were cramped against the seat in front of him once again. He tried not to move a lot. He didn't want to risk it and hit Yixing or Baekhyun, or even worse, whoever was in front of him, but it was hard. He was sure his legs would go numb.

Fortunately, the attendants began moving around, making sure everything was in order before the plane took off.

Sehun was familiar with the process, so he acted in automatic mode. He didn't pay attention to the attendants’ instructions. He tuned out his surroundings and came back to his senses only when they were already in the air.

Taking a deep breath, he leaned his head back on his seat and closed his eyes. Maybe he could take a nap or—

“Did you fight again?”

Sehun opened his eyes and faced Baekhyun. “Care to give me more details?”

“Yixing and you,” Baekhyun said, completely foregoing the general rule about being discreet.

Sehun's eyes went wide, afraid that Yixing had heard. It wasn't like he cared, but he didn't want Yixing to start a fight over something he hadn't even done. His fear flew away when he saw that the other was, in fact, staring out the window with his earphones on.

Glaring back at Baekhyun, he still hissed, “Could you please be more silent? I don't want everyone knowing about it.”

“So you did fight again?” Baekhyun asked, his voice going a little bit lower. “What was it this time?”

Sehun shrugged and shook his head at the same time. “I don't even know.”

“How could you not know?”

“I don't. I was trying to have a conversation with him about—” Sehun stopped there, completely sure that Baekhyun didn't have to know the details. Baekhyun looked at him expectant, but Sehun looked away and rephrased what he was going to say. “I tried to talk to him without starting a fight. But he was defensive for no reason and we ended up arguing, like always.”

“Why did you want to have a proper conversation with him, anyway?” Baekhyun asked. “You never do that “

“Well, no. Not before last night, at least.”

“What happened last night?”

“We talked. No fights, just. Talk. We even agreed to keep things at bay, you know? Like, to try and be friends. Or something close to that.”

Baekhyun straightened and adjusted himself on his seat. He was facing Sehun now. “Are you being serious?!”

His question was loud again. It attracted people's attention back to them, including Yixing's. He stared at them and Baekhyun waved at him. At that, Yixing narrowed his eyes but he probably decided it wasn't something worth of his time. So he looked away and faced the window once again.

“Keep your voice low, Byun,” Sehun said again. “And yes, I'm being serious. Seems we both agree that being rivals is tiring.”

“You do?” Baekhyun's amused smile was as wider as it could be, and that made Sehun roll his eyes.

“We do,” he said. “Or… we did, I guess. He changed his mind this morning. Maybe he never wanted it. I don't know.”

“Or maybe you did something wrong,” Baekhyun said.

“I didn't do anything.”

“You sure?”

At that, Sehun's mind went back to the previous night. It had been so good… So, so good. At least he felt that it had been good. And he was certain he hadn't done anything wrong. Although that was only his own perspective speaking. Maybe Yixing had seen things in a different way. Sehun couldn't know that. Yixing didn't even want to talk to him and he wasn't going to fight a lost battle. He didn't have time for that.

“I'm not,” he finally said. “Maybe I did something, maybe I did not. But it doesn't matter. I don't care about being his friend anymore.”

“Are you sure?” Baekhyun asked again. Something flashed through his eyes. Something close to understanding. It made Sehun's stomach churn.

“Yes, Byun. I'm sure.”

And those were his last words before dropping the conversation. He closed his eyes, letting himself get carried away by the noises surrounding him. It was a mere distraction so he wouldn't go back to the mess in his head. Baekhyun didn't bother him after that, which was a relief. And so time went by without him stressing himself over things he didn't have an answer for.

For the rest of the flight, he played games on his phone to keep himself distracted. It worked. It kept him focused until Baekhyun hit him on the ribs to pay attention to the attendants.

When the plane landed, they moved as fast as they could so they would leave the plane as soon as possible. Sehun couldn't help but getting excited. They were almost done with this stupid trip. He couldn't believe they were a few minutes away from leaving this mess behind. They would finally go back to their normal lives.

They were about to enter the aisle connecting the plane with the airport when they had to slow their pace. Everyone had been so desperate to exit, that they ended up making a crowd inside the aisle, slowing down the exit process. Sehun was walking right behind Baekhyun, so there was no way he could lose him from his sight. Yixing was walking behind him, though. He couldn't turn around to look at him.

The thought of Yixing getting lost in the crowd crossed his mind. So without missing a beat, he groped behind him to find Yixing's arm. He tentatively grabbed onto his wrist, just to give Yixing time to push him away in case he didn't want him to hold him. But Yixing didn't push him away. Sehun felt Yixing's muscles going tense for a brief moment, but then he slowly turned his arm so he was grabbing onto Sehun's wrist as well. Sehun’s heart was pounding in his ribcage like a madman, but he ignored it as much as he could. He had to focus on getting out of the aisle safe and sound.

They were relieved when they found their way out that damn crowd onto the airport. A lot of people were still around, forcing them to walk as close as possible so they wouldn't get lost. They walked in a line, with Sehun following Baekhyun, and Yixing behind him, holding onto his arm for dear life.

At one point, obviously, Sehun had to let go of him. It happened when they got to the counter. It was a very awkward moment, for Yixing pushed his arm away and Sehun dropped Yixing's as though it had burned him. Baekhyun had seen it so an amused expression settled on his face. Sehun pretended he didn't notice. Though from then on, he tried hard not to look at Baekhyun.

They did what they had to do, checked-out what they had to check-out. Baekhyun even helped them translating everything. After what felt like hours, they finally found themselves walking at the airport terminal heading to the exit gates.

Chanyeol had texted him half an hour ago that he was already there, waiting at the terminal. So Sehun kept his eyes alert in case they walked near to where he was standing. Baekhyun was walking in front of him once again, so when he suddenly stopped, Sehun almost crashed into him.

“Hey, how many cash do we have?” Baekhyun asked out of the blue, not looking up from his phone.

“What do you need cash for?” Sehun asked back, pushing Baekhyun away.

“For the taxi,” Baekhyun said. “How much do you think it'll cost from here to Niseko?”

“Chanyeol is here,” Sehun said at the same time Yixing said, “Yifan is picking me up.”

Baekhyun gaped at them, looking betrayed. “And what about me? Why didn't you tell me?”

“You can take a taxi,” Yixing said.

Baekhyun frowned at him. “You're not funny.”

They continued bickering, but Sehun ignored them. He wanted to find Chanyeol as soon as possible. His eyes scanned the area. Then, as if fate had decided it was done messing with him, he found Chanyeol standing near the entrance way. He was talking to another guy who, to Sehun's surprise, was Wu Yifan.

“Hey, shut up,” he said, pointing towards the entrance way. “They’re over there.”

He took his suitcase and pulled it with him, not waiting for Yixing nor Baekhyun to react. When he was close, Chanyeol noticed him and smiled. His expression changed when he saw behind Sehun. Yifan on his part, only raised an eyebrow.

“Finally,” Chanyeol said once he stopped in front of them. “It was getting—”

“Get me out of here, please,” Yixing interrupted, glancing at Yifan and walking past them. It had been so sudden and random that it left everyone blinking in confusion. Everyone except Yifan.

“Guess it didn’t go well…” Yifan mumbled, following Yixing with his eyes. He turned back and narrowed his eyes at Sehun. “What the hell did you do?”

Sehun glared at him. “Why are you assuming I did something?”

“You always do something.”

“I didn’t do shit.”

“And that’s exactly your problem, isn’t it?” Yifan said, looking annoyed. “That you know that something's going on, but you still don't do shit. You ruined it and now I'll have to deal with him.”

Sehun scowled, not understanding what the hell that meant. What was he implying?

Baekhyun and Chanyeol looked even more confused, but none of them said anything.

“Anyway, see you tomorrow, I guess,” Yifan said. He patted Chanyeol on the back and turned around, following the same way Yixing had walked down.

“That was… interesting,” Baekhyun said, staring at Yifan's retreating back. “Do you think he knows something?”

Sehun whipped his head around, staring at him. Was that possible? Had Yixing… told him? About their… kissing incident?

He began to panic, not knowing if that was good or not. It couldn't be good, for sure. But he couldn't go that down his mental spiral. Chanyeol then spoke, stopping it for good.

“Why are you still here?” Chanyeol asked, frowning down at Baekhyun.

Sehun would've normally followed Chanyeol's game, but he was tired and his headache was getting worse. He wanted to get to damn Niseko and finally crash on a real bed. So he turned around, saying, “Bring my suitcase, please.”

“I'm not your slave,” Chanyeol said, but still took the suitcase with him.

“Hey, what about me?” Baekhyun asked behind them.

“Are we bringing him?” Chanyeol asked.

Sehun sighed and stopped, facing back. “Don't stay behind, Byun. Or else you'll have to get a taxi.”

Again, he didn't wait for him. He continued walking, with Chanyeol following next to him. He still turned around from time to time to make sure that Baekhyun was still there. He didn't know if he was glad or annoyed that he never got lost.

Once they got in the car, Sehun sprawled on the passenger seat. The accumulated exhaustion from the last days was finally making itself present. His head was still hammering, so he decided he would take a nap, hoping the pain would go away.

Chanyeol wasn't having any of that, though. As soon as they were all in and buckled, he opened his mouth to say the most stupid thing in the world.

“So, Sehun. After all this interesting journey, did Yixing and you _finally_ solve your sexual tension?”

Baekhyun snorted and Sehun straightened and reached to punch Chanyeol in the arm.

“Shut up!”

Chanyeol only laughed, placing his hands in front of him to push Sehun's fist away. “Is that a no?”

“Fucking shut up!”

“They didn't,” Baekhyun quipped and Chanyeol laughed louder.

“That's what I thought.”

Sehun turned to glare at Baekhyun and he only received a shrug in return.

He took in a deep, deep breath and looked out the window. He wasn't going to argue with them. He wasn't going to care about their shit. He had to focus on what was ahead for him, which was the competition. He had distracted himself more than he should've and he wasn't going to let his mind wander away from that now. That was what he had come for, after all.

“Next time it'll be, then,” Chanyeol said, starting the car. “Who knows, maybe they'll at least kiss or something.”

Sehun closed his eyes and leaned his head on the cold window.

_They had no idea…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> J U S T O N E C H A P T E R L E F T ! ! !
> 
> Are we excited? Yes, we are! At least I am!! And Ik you were expecting something cute and different (or maybe you already knew something like this tragedy would happen, Idk), bUT WHERe's the fun if I let them be together right away? Right? Right.......? Right. 🤠
> 
> Next chapter everything will come to an end, so let's hope they'll solve their issues or something. Or at least let's see if Sehun finally beats Yixing or not haha
> 
> Take care of yourselves, alright? Have an amazing day/night! ♥


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s here! It’s here! IT’S HERE!!!! 
> 
> I know, took me an eternity to get this up, but still, I managed to finish and edit this, and now here I am, fulfilling my debt to you. As a recompense for waiting so long, I made this longer than it originally was. Added around 5k+ words, so without further ado, go ahead and read this final monster. Take in mind that Idk a thing about snowboarding (the minimun knowledge I got was from some YouTube videos, snowboarding forums, and Wikipedia), so bear with me a little here, alright? 
> 
> See you—read you?—at the end of the chapter. ♡(: 

**December 14th, 2019**

_Niseko Mt. Resort Grand Hirafu_

_D-Day_

Stressed.

That was the word that described Sehun the most right now.

Everything that happened in the last days had stressed the hell out of him. He almost forgot the circus that let loose previous to the start of a competition. Staff running here and there, making sure everything was in order. Reporters, cameramen and photographers trying to cover as much as they could. Snowboarders and their respective teams preparing for what was ahead. Fans wanting to show their support to their favorite athletes.

It was a mess.

12 hours since he had got to Niseko and now he missed being a hundred kilometers away from it.

He was sitting by a table in the resort's dining hall, taking his breakfast. It was full of carbohydrates, proteins, and fluids to fuel himself. He had a plate of hot porridge with banana and strawberries. Another one with pasta, another one with some meat and a lot of vegetables. He also had a huge glass of fruit smoothie, a cup of tea, a glass of juice, and a glass of water. It was a full buffet only for him, courtesy of Park Chanyeol.

Once they were together, his best friend disappeared to let the trainer take action—” _How much did you rest? How much did you eat? Did you follow your diet? Did you exercise yourself, even if only for a bit? Did you take some time to rest your mind?”_

Sehun had only given him negative answers, so of course Chanyeol scolded him. It only got worse when he found out that Sehun had been drunk, too. So now here Sehun was, trying to compensate for 90 hours of irresponsible neglect of his diet and program.

Fortunately for him, the FIS had modified the original schedule. Now, instead of starting at 9am, the competition would take place at midday. That was good. He had five hours to eat and put his mind at ease—especially the latter. He was restless. Though he could only blame himself for that.

Well, himself _and_ Yixing.

_Stupid Yixing._

Since the airport, Sehun hadn't had any kind of contact with him—nor with Yifan, for that matter. It wasn't unusual, per se. It happened in every competition, but this time something was different. He felt that something was missing. It was as if he craved his dose of _'Let's fight Yixing today'._ It was driving him insane.

_Stupid, stupid Yixing._

He hadn’t even got a proper sleep. He had dozed off several times, but he never got to fall asleep completely. It didn't matter how hard he tried. His brain forced him _to think_ until he felt like his head was going to explode for excessive use. So he found himself staring at his room's ceiling at damn 4am, wondering why Yixing had gone back to hate him.

He didn't know why it bothered him so much— no. Wait. He _did_ know. He was only pretending he didn't. He still wasn't sure what to take from their confession night. Even less from the outcome of it. He had gone over it more times than he would ever admit to anyone. It was embarrassing. This obsessive behavior wasn't healthy, he was sure.

_Stupid fucking Yixing._

“For all that food to finish, you need to place it in your mouth, you know?”

Sehun blinked, bringing his mind back to present. Chanyeol was standing next to the table, frowning down at him.

“I’m eating,” he said, picking at his plate of porridge. “Where were you?

Chanyeol took the seat in front of him. “Checking the details for the press conference.”

“Will there be one?”

“I thought they would forego it, but I guess those will always be part of the protocol.”

Sehun made a face. He wasn't excited about sitting in front of the press. Not when they already knew he had hitchhiked with Yixing. The rumor had spread like fire in a forest, but it was until he got to Niseko that Chanyeol let him know. God only knew what everyone was saying. Sehun preferred to remain ignorant of it.

“So,” Chanyeol said, stealing a piece of meat from Sehun's plate. “Are you gonna tell me what’s wrong or am I gonna have to force you to tell me?”

Sehun looked up from his plate and raised his eyebrows, feigning not to know what he meant.

Chanyeol rolled his eyes. “I know something’s bothering you. You look like shit. Bet you didn’t even sleep.”

“Sleep is overrated.”

“Not when you have a competition coming up.”

Sehun didn't have an answer to that, so he only shrugged.

“Why didn't you sleep?” Chanyeol asked.

“I couldn't.”

“And that was because…?”

Staring at his plate again, Sehun pondered over telling him the truth or not. One thing was to admit to himself that he had feelings for Yixing— _oh, shit,_ _he had feelings for Yixing_. But another one was to admit it to Chanyeol. Once he let those words out of his mouth, there would be no way to take them back. It wasn't like talking to Chanyeol would solve his problems with Yixing—though it would help him clear his head, and he needed that. He had set it aside for long enough.

_“Sehun.”_

“I couldn’t because I was thinking.”

“About?”

“Yixing,” he mumbled, almost whispered. He didn’t want people around knowing about it.

Chanyeol raised his eyebrows. “Okay, listen. I know I always joke that you like him, but unless _that_ is true, I don't get why you spent your night awake thinking about him.”

“It's because it’s true,” Sehun said. “I do like him. A lot, actually.”

Chanyeol blinked, but the surprised reaction Sehun had expected never came. What Chanyeol did was to lean on the table, crossing his arms on top of it, looking as calm as ever.

“And what made you finally realize that?”

“What do you mean _‘finally’?”_

Chanyeol made a funny face. “It’s not like I didn’t know. We grew up together and I’m your best friend. I would dare to say I can always tell when someone catches up your eye. And Yixing… Man, he’s been stuck in your eye for quite a while.”

Sehun hissed. “Don’t say his name!”

“Nobody’s listening.” Chanyeol waved a nonchalant hand. “But you didn’t answer. When did you come to that conclusion?”

Sehun sighed, now regretting having opened his mouth. “The night when I— _we_ got drunk. We agreed that we didn't want to fight anymore, so we tried to get to know each other. We were asking questions about the other and I thought it was a good idea to bring up his love life.”

Chanyeol grimaced. “Why?”

“Being drunk should be a good explanation, but I really wanted to know if he was dating someone.”

“Did he tell you?”

“At first he didn’t want to, but he went along with it.”

“And…?”

Sehun hesitated for a moment. He didn't need to tell him the full thing, did he? He trusted Chanyeol with his life, but there were some things that were only for Yixing and him to keep. So it was fine if he didn’t tell him the full story, wasn’t it? He guessed it was.

“In short,” he said, “I made him describe his crush. He described _me_ and when I asked him if it was me indeed, he said yes and… I kissed him.”

Chanyeol was staring wide eyed at him. The expression lasted for a couple of seconds, then his scandalous laugh flooded the room. Everyone turned to look at them, but the guy didn’t care.

“You almost got me!” he said, trying to catch his breath. “How did you come with such a thing?”

Sehun frowned at him.

Seeing his reaction, Chanyeol's amusement faded away. “You're not joking?”

Sehun made a face. _Really?_

“Holy shit, you're not joking!” Chanyeol gaped at him and placed an elbow on the table, holding his head in one hand. “Okay, okay. Wait. So you kissed him and I guess that he kissed you back. Right?” Sehun nodded. “Was it that bad? The kiss, I mean. Was it bad?”

Sehun frowned. “No?”

“Then why did he run away from you as soon as he saw Yifan?” Chanyeol asked, lowering his voice and raising an eyebrow. “The airport was horrible with all those people around, so he could’ve only been annoyed. But for someone who spent his night kissing his crush, it seemed he was desperate not to see you ever again. He didn’t even say you goodbye.”

“It was because we fought.”

“After the kiss?”

“No, we—” Sehun raked a hand through his face. There he was again, back at not having answers. “I’m not even sure what went wrong, but the next morning everything was back to normal. As if nothing had happened.”

“That’s… weird,” Chanyeol said. “Maybe… I don't know, I might be wrong, but maybe he didn't know how to react.”

“What do you mean?”

“You jumped from insulting to kissing in the blink of an eye.” Chanyeol leaned back on his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “You completely skipped the entire friend stage. So now that you know that you don't hate each other, you don't know what to do with that information. Let alone know how to act around the other. He was probably going through a dilemma about whether he should call you ‘asshole’ or ‘baby’.”

Sehun pondered over that information and— oh… _Oh._ Alright, that made sense. He himself hadn’t known if things would change or not. Yixing had to be thinking the same. So it _did_ make sense, but it still didn’t explain why he had decided to fight him instead of talking to him about it.

“What did he say to you after that?” Chanyeol asked. “What happened right after the kiss?”

“We didn’t do anything else. He was straddling me, but—”

“Ew, no! I don’t want the details!” Chanyeol made a disgusted face. “I don't need the mental image of you both kissing and moaning. That's gross.”

Sehun felt the tips of his ears heating. Now _he_ had the mental image of Yixing and him kissing and moaning, and he didn’t need it. _Not now._

“I mean after you stopped being gross,” Chanyeol said. “Did you talk about it?”

“We… no,” Sehun said. “I didn’t want to talk about it drunk, so I told him we should go to sleep.”

“You told him what?” Chanyeol stared at him, dumbfounded. “Are you for real?” Sehun nodded. “So you're telling me you got yourselves drunk and made him confess that you’re his crush. You kissed him and when things got steamy, you sent him to sleep. Was that it?”

Well, phrased like that, it sounded like a shitty move. But Sehun guessed that it was what had happened. In essence. He had done that, yeah… He nodded again.

“And you wonder why he’s mad at you!” Chanyeol flared his arms, looking like a madman. “Why did you cut things off like that? Bet he thinks you kissed him only to mock him!”

“I would never do that!”

“But he doesn't know that! Did you even tell him you like him back?” Chanyeol rolled his eyes when Sehun shook his head. “See? I'm sure he thinks you _do_ hate him. That everything that happened meant nothing for you.”

And now everything made sense.

“I need to talk to him,” Sehun said, leaving his spoon on the table. He had to explain everything to Yixing. Tell him that their drunk night _had meant_ something for him and he liked him. He didn’t know where Yixing was, but he would tear the entire resort apart if he had to just to find him.

“Whoa! Hold on there, Romeo!” Chanyeol said, holding out his hands. “I'm sure you'll find a way to fix this mess, but you already have a schedule for today. You eat, then conference press. Then competition, and _then_ you can solve your love-life issues.”

Right. Now wasn’t the time. It would have to wait.

Sehun slid back into his seat.

“However,” Chanyeol added, “it would be better if you talked to him before competing. In case you win and he gets angrier.”

Sehun snorted and dipped his spoon back in the porridge. Now that he had talked to Chanyeol, he felt lighter; more at ease. He believed that he and Yixing would fix it for sure, but first they had to focus on the competition.

So he finished his food, went back to his room to shower, and prepared himself for the press conference. He chose a pair of jeans with a white shirt under a brown-ish jacket. It was easy and casual, and he looked good without putting that much effort. He wore a black cap instead of styling his hair and called it a day. Then, before he noticed, he was already sitting in the waiting room, waiting for his turn to come.

The order of the interviews was assigned according to each athlete’s ranking on the qualification rounds. Starting with the worst time, ending with the best. Given his own ranking, Sehun was second-to-last, with Yixing being the last one— _of course._ Before him was Nakamoto Yuta, the only local male snowboarder in the championship.

There was a TV hanging on a wall, where they could see the conference room. Yuta was smiling, answering whatever it was they had asked him. Sehun had no idea of what he was talking about, but he looked at ease—and how couldn’t he? He was going to compete at home. Knowing that your next competition would be in your home country always gave you some serenity.

Sehun wished he felt the same. He was nervous about the conference. Unlike Yixing, he had always been open with the press. Not to a point where he revealed everything, but he still replied to some personal questions from time to time. He was expecting to hear at least one of those, but he had already decided he wouldn’t answer them. How could he, when not even himself knew what the hell was going on with his personal issues. It was safer to skip those topics.

He was pondering over this when the doors opened. The noise from the outside disturbed the up till now so peaceful room. A huge group of people had piled up in there, surrounding someone. He couldn’t see who it was, but he knew who it _could_ be. The group parted, as if making way to a king. Just as he had expected, no other but the snowboarding king himself, appeared among them.

Yixing was wearing a pair of black jeans and a white shirt underneath a white jacket. He looked stunning. Tired as hell, but stunning, nonetheless. Like he always did. Typical.

Yixing walked into the conference room with Yifan in tow. Once they were in, the guards closed the doors, blocking the access again.

In a moment of impulsiveness, Sehun stood up _._ He dragged his chair on the floor unintentionally, attracting everyone’s attention. Yixing stared at him, taken aback for his sudden reaction. It lasted a couple of seconds, before he looked away and walked to the furthest corner from where Sehun was still standing like an idiot.

A pull on his jacket made him look away from Yixing. He stared down at Chanyeol, who was giving him a weird look.

“What the hell are you doing? Sit down.”

Embarrassed, Sehun did so. He could feel Chanyeol’s eyes on him, but he didn’t acknowledge him. Could he crawl under a rock and stay there for the rest of his life? That sounded way too appealing. He would gladly go down there.

“You need to get a grip. For real,” Chanyeol said. “That was painful to watch.”

“Shut up.”

“Just saying you could use some self-control from time to time.”

As if Sehun himself didn’t know…

He stared at the floor, then, waiting for his turn to come. He didn’t realize how much time passed until Chanyeol lightly pushed him.

“You’re next. Come on.”

Sehun looked up to see Yuta walking into the waiting room. Smiling and looking satisfied with how his conference had gone. They made eye contact and bowed their heads.

He stood up, then, and arranged his jacket. His eyes moved to the corner where Yixing was standing. He was surprised to find that he was already looking at him. But when their eyes crossed, Yixing looked away and went back to pay attention to Yifan.

“Hey, look at me.” Chanyeol tapped his cheek. “Focus. You’ve done this many times before. Answer only what you feel like answering, toss aside what you feel like not. Now show them who the boss is.”

Sehun walked past him without looking anywhere but at the door. He entered in his snowboarder persona. The area was free for him to claim as his, so he walked in with confidence, nonchalant. As though he knew he was the boss, indeed, and nobody else could ever beat him. Giving the room a brief glance, he noticed it was full. He couldn’t see the reporters’ faces; the lights at the back shadowed them. There was a table, with a new bottle of water, the mic, as well as a tag with his name.

He stepped in front of it and bowed to everyone around. He posed for them to take some pictures and then walked around the table to sit where Yuta had been a few minutes ago. He reached for the mic, said hello, and let his brain get lost in the conference.

 _“What are your plans for today’s competence?”_ Winning, of course.

 _“Do you think you’ll beat your score?”_ That was the idea. He would try to.

 _“Don’t you feel threatened by the new additions this year has brought to the FIS?”_ No, it actually excited him. It motivated him to work harder and give his best.

 _“How did you feel when the FIS announced the possible delay of the competence?”_ Worried. Confused. Annoyed at the weather, too.

 _“Is it true that your flight got diverted?”_ It was true, yes. They had to land in Fukuoka.

 _“What do you have to say about the rumors of Zhang Yixing and you being together there?”_ He wasn’t aware of any rumors, but it was true that they had been together.

 _“Did you travel together?”_ No, they had encountered each other at the airport.

 _“Not competition related, but are you dating someone?”_ He was thankful for their interest, but that was something for another day.

He answered question after question without missing a beat. He didn't have any trouble in getting back on track. He avoided as many personal questions as he could, and answered the rest as honestly as possible.

In no time he found himself thanking them and getting off his seat. It had gone way better than expected.

The staff opened the door and he walked out, feeling some of the pressure disappearing. The first thing he saw—or rather, _person_ —was Chanyeol. He was standing at the door, waiting for him.

“It wasn’t that bad,” Chanyeol said.

Sehun snorted. “It definitely could’ve been wor—”

“Could you please move aside? You’re blocking the way.”

Surprised at the interruption, Sehun found Yixing standing next to them. He had a bored expression, though he wasn’t looking at either of them.

Without saying anything, he stepped aside. He wasn't going to do anything else, but when Yixing was about to move, his body reacted before he could think. He extended his arm and softly held Yixing's wrist.

Yixing startled. His eyes went wide and his mouth had fallen slightly open. He stared down at his wrist, then back at Sehun.

“Sorry, I—” Sehun cleared his throat. This was other of those stupid things he always did without thinking. He did need some self-control, it seemed. “Do you think we could talk? After you’re done in there.”

Yixing stared at him for a brief moment, then removed his arm from his grasp. He walked away without uttering a word.

Sehun stared at him until he disappeared behind that door. Had that been a no?

Chanyeol patted him on the shoulder. “Let’s go.”

Not even waiting, Sehun walked in the opposite direction Yixing had followed. He wanted to get out of there. He didn't feel lighter anymore. In fact, it was as though a rock had settled in his stomach.

The way Yixing had reacted wasn’t sitting right with him—or more the way Yixing _hadn’t_ reacted. Any other day, at this point they would've screamed at each other at least once. But today… there had been none of that. No annoyed faces. No insulting remarks. No glares or roll of eyes. No reaction at all. It was then that it finally hit him that Yixing was _mad_ at him. There could be no other explanation than that. Yixing's life didn't revolve around him, obviously, but Yixing had never been like that with him. Not even once.

And he didn't like it.

When he had said that he didn't want to fight Yixing anymore, _this_ wasn't what he had meant nor expected. Now he wished Yixing would fight him. Scream at him. Insult him. Punch him, even. That was way better than not having any reaction at all.

Once he survived the wave of snowboarding enthusiasts at the lobby, he spent the next couple of hours in his room with Chanyeol. Then, before he even realized it, the moment to get ready came.

Chanyeol had brought his snowboarding gear and clothing with him from Seoul, thank God for him, to take away weight from Sehun’s luggage. Everything was inside the closet. Sehun took all the garments out—long underwear, tracksuit, neck gaiter, snowboard socks, pants and jacket, beanie, boots, gloves. His helmet and goggles were in the car along with his board, according to Chanyeol.

This year, the Korean team’s clothing was blue with some red and white stripes on the torso. It looked as though a tiger had scratched it. A small South Korea flag was on the left side of his chest and his name was on the back. The clothes were soft and warm, enough for him to resist the low temperatures out there, so he liked them a lot.

Once he was cladded from head to toe, he stepped in front of the mirror to make sure everything was in its place. He put on his beanie, his fluffy jacket, and left the room.

Chanyeol was already waiting for him, leaning on the wall in front of his door. His clothing was like Sehun’s, with the same colors and details, less his name on the back. A huge backpack was on the floor next to him. Sehun crouched down to place his room's key in one of the small bags in front of it. He stood up and together, they headed to the lobby.

Since the main entrance was a mess, the riders had to leave the place through the emergency exit. It was right next to the management’s office. This was convenient in more ways than imagined. Now they could avoid the press, the staff, as well as many fans, and get out of there without a problem.

When they stepped outside, the coldness in the air made Sehun shiver. Not even his clothes helped him. The hotel was on the base of Mount Niseko Annupuri, so naturally, the cold weather was hitting strong down there. He was already imagining how much more the temperature would drop once being up at the starting point.

Chanyeol, as the Japanese-speaking pro he was, talked to the valet to bring their car. They had to go to the other side of the mountain where the FIS had placed the tents for them to wait. Since it was quite far from the hotel, they had to get there by car.

As soon as the vehicle was in front of them, Sehun jumped in, eager to be already at the tents.

“What did you bring me?” he asked after Chanyeol started the car. He was roaming in the backpack, looking at its contents. Among many things, he found some protein and muesli bars, a little bag with dried fruits, and three thermos flasks.

“The same as always,” Chanyeol said. “Two thermos have tea and the other has warm milk. There's a bag with chocolate powder somewhere for your milk, too.”

Sehun nodded, closed the backpack, and placed it on the backseat. He was pleased with the food in his backpack. He needed them to keep him hydrated and his energy levels steady.

As they drove, they talked about their guesses on who would be grouped with who for each heat. About who they thought had more possibilities to make it to the small and big finals among the sixteen male and sixteen female competitors. Bets were always directed towards Yixing or Sehun in the male category for the most part. Though there was no doubt that the rest had earned their spot with an amazing show of talent and skills. Sehun was sure that it would be a big challenge for him and he was excited for it.

Not long after that, the tents entered their field of vision. A huge sign reading _‘Welcome to the FIS Snowboard Asian Championship 2019’_ was hanging at the entrance. There was no way for anyone to get lost if they had come to enjoy the competition.

They entered the area following a special lane for competitors and staff that led them to the tents. They were five. Three of those belonged to the FIS staff. The other two were the main tents—one for the female, the other for the male category—where the turns and heat raffles were made.

Chanyeol stopped in front of the male-category tent. “I’ll drop you here. I’ll find a place to park.”

Sehun nodded, adjusted his beanie, and hopped out the car. He saw another car arriving with Kim Wonsik inside. Kim Hyoyeon, Kang Seulgi, Choi Minho, and Chittaphon Lee were getting out their own cars on the other side of the parking space. Lee Taemin was walking towards the tents along with Krystal Jung and Kim Jongin. Some of their trainers were around, too, greeting each other, talking, and laughing. It had been a while since the last time they had been all together. It was like meeting old friends.

“I can see you trembling from here. Are you nervous?”

Sehun turned around to find Kim Junmyeon walking towards him. Right behind Junmyeon, Park Jungsoo, his trainer, was talking to Bae Joohyun, his other trainee. They were all wearing the same clothing as he and Chanyeol were, given they all belonged to the Korean team.

Sehun would dare to say that out of all the snowboarders in the league, Junmyeon was one of the closest ones to him. They had hung out a few times before and had trained together for the fun of it, as well. Junmyeon's career was impressive. He was one of the best. He was sure that hadn’t Yixing been there, Junmyeon would’ve been the best of his generation without a doubt.

“You wish I were,” Sehun said, burying his hands in the pockets of his jacket. “But no, it’s only the weather.”

Junmyeon laughed and clapped him on the back when he reached him. “Nice to see you made it here. I heard you were stuck somewhere on the other side of the country.”

“Yeah, a nightmare.” Sehun moved to walk toward the tent. He wasn’t freezing, but he would soon if they didn’t go in.

Junmyeon followed him in. “That’s not what Baekhyun is saying, though.”

Sehun made a face. “Why is he even talking about it? Did he mention he stalked us?”

“No.”

“Of course he didn't.” Sehun rolled his eyes. “Nobody invited him over. Yixing and I told him to leave, but he stuck to us like a piece of gum in a shoe.”

“And yet you survived.”

“Barely… Try to deal with those two at the same time and then come tell me if it was easy.”

Junmyeon laughed again, but didn't comment anything else.

As they entered the tent, the warmth from the inside welcomed them. The place was large. It had to, so they all could come in without a problem. There were several chairs around, as well as some tables. To the side they had a table with coffee and tea. At the back was another one where the representatives of the committee would take a seat. Behind it, there was a large official board that would contain the distribution for each heat.

As for his fellow snowboarders, among the ones in there, he saw Yuta talking to his trainers in one corner. To the side, Lu Han and Jackson Wang were greeting each other. At a table, Lee Taeyong was with Choi Minho and Kim Jongdae, laughing. On another one were Dong Sicheng and Qian Kun, listening to their trainer.

Sehun walked to the closest table; the one almost at the entrance. He took a seat and Junmyeon sat next to him.

“Is everyone— _hey, hi!”_ Junmyeon smiled wide at Jongdae, who had raised his arm to attract his attention. He looked back at Sehun. “Is everyone already here?”

Sehun looked around and counted them. They were eight. Plus Junmyeon and him, ten. Plus the ones he had seen outside… fourteen? Everyone was there, except Hendery Wong and—

_“Yixing!”_

It was Lu Han. It attracted everyone's attention. They all turned around to find Yixing at the entrance of the tent. Cladded in a thick, big red jacket, he walked in with Hendery Wong to his side. Yifan and another guy—Hendery's trainer, Sehun guessed— were behind them.

Yixing jerked his head at Lu Han as a greeting, throwing him a smile. He then stepped to the side, close to Sehun's table, so he wouldn't block the entrance. He continued talking to Hendery for a minute or so. He was mimicking with two fingers a pair of legs, moving them on the palm of his other hand as if they were jumping. Hendery was staring, not missing any single detail of the movements. Taking in everything that Yixing was telling him. By the looks of it, it seemed like Yixing was giving him some sort of advice.

Sehun couldn't help but wonder if that was how it would've been for him. If that was what Yixing would've done with him, hadn't they started with the wrong foot. Maybe it would’ve. Maybe it would’ve not. What had happened couldn’t change, so there was no point in distracting himself with such a thing.

He tossed the thought out of his mind as he looked at Yixing clapping Hendery on the arm and letting him go. The boy thanked him and walked away, taking a seat at the same table as Sicheng.

“Hello, Xing!”

Sehun looked back at Junmyeon. The man was smiling up at Yixing.

“Junmyeon,” Yixing said. He walked closer, standing in front of them. “How’ve you been? Are you ready?”

“I was born ready,” Junmyeon said, making Yixing smirk. “I’m looking forward to our heat together. I’m expecting not to let you two”—he elbowed Sehun lightly without looking away from Yixing—”get so far ahead from me this time.”

Sehun blinked, for a moment confused. Then realization of what Junmyeon was saying hit him. The snowboarding style they performed was, specifically, _boardercross_. It consisted of groups of four to six competitors racing down the slopes at the same time. The objective was to be the first one to reach the bottom.

Every time a group performed was called _heat_. For this competition, there would be four rounds of four heats each, with four competitors per heat. Plus a semifinal divided into two other heats, to end with the small and big finals. The small one for the 5th to 8th places, and the big one for the 1st to 4th. This applied the same for both male and female categories.

The way competitors were assigned a heat was simple. In the first round, the order would follow the same as their ranking qualification times. For the other three rounds, the riders would split up through a raffle system. The committee would pick a name and place it on the board behind their desk, until each heat was full. As of now, the first four heats were the only ones with names, the rest were blank spaces. For heat 1, Sehun was with Yixing, Junmyeon, and Yuta. On heat 2, Kim Jongin, Lu Han, Kim Jongdae, and Jackson Wang. For heat 3, Choi Minho, Chittaphon Lee, Kim Wonsik, and Lee Taemin. And for heat 4, Qian Kun, Lee Taeyeong, Hendery Wong, and Dong Sicheng.

And that was what Junmyeon was referring to. They would compete together in their first heat.

Sehun had forgotten about it.

“You weren’t even that far behind,” Yixing said, bringing him back to present. “Wasn’t it, like, a second of difference between you and I?”

“Still, not the desired result.” Junmyeon shrugged, his smile never faltering. “But let’s see if this time I can change that.”

“I bet you can,” Chanyeol said out of nowhere, taking a seat next to Sehun—making Sehun jump and frown at him. “Hope second place sounds appealing.”

“Why second?” Junmyeon asked, the amusement clear in his voice.

“Because Sehun will be first,” Chanyeol said as a matter of fact.

At that, Junmyeon laughed and Yixing only blinked, raising his eyebrows.

Sehun could only stare at them, not interested in being an active participant of their conversation.

At that moment, the FIS committee walked into the tent. Everyone moved to their respective places and waited for the committee to take a seat.

“Come on, Xing. Let's take a seat,” Yifan said, walking behind him. Sehun hadn’t noticed he was still standing there.

Yixing nodded. “See you up there,” he said looking at Junmyeon. “Park,” he added, nodding once at Chanyeol.

His eyes then landed on Sehun and some sort of anticipation settled on Sehun’s stomach. _What_ he was expecting, he didn’t know, but he couldn’t discover it. As soon as it happened, Yixing looked away and turned around, following Yifan and sat with Lu Han and Jackson.

Sehun frowned, feeling his stomach turn.

What the fuck?

“Stop it,” Chanyeol muttered next to him, looking straight ahead. “You need to focus.”

Sehun stared at his gloves, trying not to look up and glance at Yixing’s table.

The committee then began their welcome speech, though he didn’t pay them attention. The speech was always the same, save for the official introduction of the new additions. This year, the never-evers were Taeyong, Hendery, and Sicheng.

After that, the raffle took place. Sehun’s eyes traveled to the board, then, his legs bouncing under the table with excitement. This part of the competition was one of his favorites. To get to know who he would be competing with.

For round 1, he was placed on heat 1 with Yixing, Yuta, and Junmyeon, as he already knew. For round 2, on heat 8, along with Jackson, Chittaphon, and Yuta once again. For round 3, on heat 10, with Wonsik, Hendery, and Junmyeon again. Finally, for round 4, on heat 15, with Lu Han, Jackson, and Taeyong.

“Those are good ones,” Chanyeol whispered. “They’ll give you a hard time.”

“Wouldn’t settle with less,” Sehun whispered back. He was more than pleased. They all were good competitors, so he was expecting a great performance. Even from Hendery and Taeyong, whom he had never competed with before.

Some other instructions and notices were given. Then, without further ado, everyone stood up to head to retrieve their stuff.

Chanyeol and Sehun went back to the car. Sehun took out the backpack, Chanyeol the snowboarding gear. When they had it all out, they headed to the base of the mountain. There they got in a cable car that would take them to the starting point.

There, the FIS had placed a hut that worked as a backstage area. It was huge, even more than the tents—as it should. Each competitor had an assigned booth in there, so to fit 32 booths without a problem, a pretty large hut was needed.

It was located more than 1,000 meters from the base of the mountain. As they headed up, Sehun couldn’t help but stare in awe at the view. The scenery was fantastic, covered all in white. In the distance, he saw people skiing and snowboarding at different heights and areas along the mountain. As the cable car moved further up, his eyes caught sight of the route they would follow. It had a distance of 1,506 meters long—or so the FIS had said. They had provided them with a detailed layout of the route. It followed some of the most difficult areas of the mountain, as well as it had some jumps and turns. There were groups of people standing along it. Waiting for the competition to start. Hoping to get a glimpse of their favorite competitors riding down.

By only looking at all this, the anticipation bubbled through Sehun’s veins. He could also see, though, that a long part of the route crossed a wooded area. Tall pine trees covered in white stood majestic, hiding how the route looked in that specific area.

He wasn’t surprised about it. He had actually expected it, for trees were unavoidable in mountains. What he hadn’t expected was for them to cover such a long distance of the route. If he were to divide the entire slope into five parts, he could almost swear the trees took three out of those five. That, for certain, had to be the longest no fall zone he had seen until now.

He slapped Chanyeol twice in the arm without any force to attract his attention. “Are you seeing that?”

“Yeah, I noticed,” Chanyeol said, staring at some point in the middle of the mountain. Probably at the pine trees, too. “That’s a long distance, but you'll be fine. It’ll be like a piece of cake.”

Sehun followed the route with his eyes, from the top to the base. God could only know what they would encounter there, waiting for them among the trees. He could only hope it really was a piece of cake.

Once they reached the top, they jumped out the cable car and followed the line that directed them to the hut. The wind was blowing stronger up there and the weather dropped significantly. The sky was cloudy, but it didn’t look like it was going to rain, or even worse, to snow. The faint sound of pop music danced through the air. Some reporters and sports analysts from different TV chains, local and foreign, had already settled around. Snow sports enthusiasts and curious visitors roamed around. At the far end was a tall advertising wall with the logos of all the sponsors, as well as the FIS’ in the middle. It was secured with a metal fence that led them to the hut.

Sehun headed there, with Chanyeol walking close behind, shielded by the security staff. People went crazy as soon as they noticed his presence. They screamed, cheered, ran after him, hoping to look at him up close or get a greeting from him. Among all those people, he got glimpses of kids holding banners with ‘Oh Sehun’ written in them. He made sure to wave at them before disappearing behind the wall and into the hut.

Once in there, he noticed that almost no male rider had arrived; only the girls were all there—which made sense, since they would start. The rounds would go one female, one male, with the female round being first.

The booths were placed in some sort of U form, leaving the center area free for people to move around. As far as he could see, each was equipped with a locker, a pallet, and a table with wax, an iron, and a tool box with everything they needed to overhaul their gear. A sign was hanging off the ceiling in front of each booth, with their names written on them. They were ordered alphabetically. Sehun’s was between Yuta’s and Park Sooyoung’s.

On his way to it, he greeted Chou Tzu-yu, Cheng Xiao, Zhou Jieqiong, and Hirai Momo. He offered a smile to Kim Yerim, Lalisa Manoban, and Kim Wonsik. He bowed his head at Im Yoona, Kim Hyoyeon, Kwon Yuri, and Jongin—to the latter as a joke. The rest were too busy with their own stuff to even notice him, but he could see that most girls were ready to go. In fact, the first four girls were already settled. Victoria Song, Myuoi Mina, Park Sooyoung, and Sana Minatozaki were standing at their booths, fully equipped and ready to start. Their trainers were talking to them, giving them some final tips and reminders. The staff were handling each their respective bib.

The bibs had two main functions. One, to identify each snowboarder as they rode. Two, to know the order in which they would choose their starting lane for the heat. They had six different colors—red, green, blue, yellow, white, and black. Each color represented the qualification ranking of each competitor in a heat. The red given to the top-ranked rider, going down from there to the black one, given to the low-ranked one.

Following that assignment, for Sehun’s first heat, Yixing would wear the red bib and would choose gate first. Then it was his own turn, with the green bib, Yuta with the blue one, and finally Junmyeon with the yellow one. The white and black bibs wouldn’t be around, since this time they were only four riders per heat. After that, the bibs would change according to the order they got to the bottom of the mountain in each round.

Sehun was aiming to wear the green bib only once. For his next rounds he wouldn’t settle with anything less than the red one.

Once they got to the booth, Chanyeol placed the board on the table, arranging it so it wouldn’t fall.

“Should I start waxing already?” Sehun asked, placing the backpack on the chair.

“It's okay, I'll do it,” Chanyeol said. He was already bending over the table, examining the board. “You should eat something in the meantime, though.”

Sehun wasn’t hungry, but some hours had already passed since breakfast and he had to eat something again. He roamed in the backpack, looking for his muesli bars.

“Do you want one?” he asked, holding out one for Chanyeol.

“I’m good,” the other said, shaking his head.

Sehun took a seat and opened the bar. As he ate, he saw how Chanyeol prepped the board. He wasn't fond of that specific part of the whole competing process. Waxing the board, checking the edges, looking for any sign of possible burr. It was tiring and he wasn’t that good at it—Chanyeol was the expert. He always noticed every single detail, no matter how small. He always left the board looking brand new.

He was watching him apply wax over the board when a loud roar reached his ears. He looked around. Nobody seemed fazed. The only ones who actually turned were the never-evers, but only because they weren’t used to such a fuss. The other ones continued doing whatever they were doing, not even once glancing at the entrance. It was as though the noise wasn’t there. But it was and it was hard not to hear it. It sounded like the one people had done right after he stepped foot out of the cable car.

Sehun’s stomach did a flip at the realization. There was only _one_ other person who could create a mess like that besides Sehun himself.

His eyes traveled to the entrance in time to catch Yixing walking into the hut. His red jacket was now accompanied by a red beanie that pushed a few curls down into his forehead. This time, everyone did turn to look. It was impossible not to. It was a collective reaction everyone seemed to have whenever Yixing was around. He strode with the confidence and ease only a champion could exude. It was mesmerizing. Annoying, too.

Yixing scanned the area, as if looking for something. He tried to be discreet about it, but Sehun still noticed—and how could he not if his eyes were stuck to him. Thus, when Yixing’s stare landed on him, it didn’t take him by surprise. Though his heart still hit his chest fast and his stomach traveled up to his throat.

Yixing raised an eyebrow when they made eye contact, but his face didn’t show any emotion. He kept on moving forward and Sehun made sure to stare back at him. It was uncomfortable, for his heart hammered even faster and harder, but he stayed put. He wasn't going to be the one to look away.

To his immense disappointment—or relief, he wasn’t sure—Chanyeol stepped in front of him, working as a barrier between them. Sehun wasn’t sure if it had been on purpose or not. Chanyeol was holding a screwdriver, his eyes fixed over one of the bindings, seeming oblivious. It didn’t matter, anyway. By the time he moved again, Yixing was already standing at his booth. His attention somewhere else far away from Sehun.

“Stop staring,” Chanyeol mumbled.

Alright, so it had been on purpose.

Sehun diverted his eyes away from Yixing. “I’m not.”

If Chanyeol said anything back, he didn’t hear it. He leaned his head back on the wall and closed his eyes. He forced himself to focus on his surroundings instead. He had to do it, at least, until he had competed. He was a professional and had to behave as such.

The hut was, by no means, silent, which was a great distraction. It wasn’t like he loved to hear instructions or motivational speeches here and there, but it was better than silence. Everything was better than silence. He didn't know for how long he stayed like that, only listening around. At some point the first female round started, and the movement around grew louder. The cheers of the public out there increased, too. Now it was a matter of twenty minutes or less for him to hit the slopes.

Surprisingly enough, those minutes went by in a blink of an eye. Before he noticed, Chanyeol was pushing his arm lightly, his signal to _move your ass and get yourself to work._

Most of the girls were already back at the hut. Some were calm, some others were frowning—disappointed at their results, most likely.

He took off his huge jacket, staying only with his snowboarding attire. He crouched down to adjust his boots and arranged his beanie, tucking his hair under it. Chanyeol handed him his helmet, then helped him adjust his goggles. The staff came to deliver his bib— _damn green bib_. He put it on over his head and arranged it so it wouldn’t tangle with his neck gaiter.

Some minutes later, the final group of girls entered the hut. That was the cue for the staff to call the first four male competitors. Sehun, Yixing, Junmyeon, and Yuta stood at the entrance with their trainers behind them. They had to select their respective lane, so two guys from the staff stood in front of them to get their selections. Following the official order, Yixing chose first, going with the center right lane. Sehun was next, selecting the center left lane. Yuta chose the lateral right lane, while Junmyeon had no choice but to go with the lateral left lane.

Once that was settled, they walked out the hut and into the starting area. The music grew louder there, as well as the fans cheers and screams. A bunch of cameras were around. Some with commentators in front of them. Others were pointing at the scenery. Other two were almost on Sehun’s and the other three’s faces, held by cameramen.

Sehun tried to ignore them. They were annoying, but they were doing their job, so he let them be and pretended they weren’t there. He only paid attention to Chanyeol’s instructions, instead— _”Keep your eyes to the front. Look where you’re going. Remember to bend your knees. If you’re going to fall, bend your arms; don’t hit the snow with your hands.”_

He nodded after each instruction, well aware that were he not to follow them, he was bound to lose, or even worse, to hurt himself or the other riders. That was something he didn’t want to face.

From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of red standing to his right. Trying not to be so obvious, he risked a glance. Yixing was staring straight ahead, an unbreakable concentration deep reflected on his features. Now that his jacket was gone, Sehun noticed that Yixing’s clothing was all red with a yellow stripe down to the side of each arm and leg. The contrast of the colors against the snow was impressive. Simple, yet hard to miss. Slightly confusing if you tried to distinguish where the bib started and ended, for they were the same color. Though it wasn’t as if it was hard to realize who Yixing was. He was the only one wearing red, anyway. Yuta’s clothing was white, whereas Junmyeon’s was blue, the exact same as Sehun’s.

“For once in your life, Sehun, pay attention to me.”

Sehun darted his eyes away from Yixing. “I’m paying attention,” he said, ignoring Chanyeol’s glare. “You’re the only thing on my mind.”

Chanyeol rolled his eyes and placed the snowboard on the floor. “I’m being serious. Stop distracting yourself. What will I tell your mom if something wrong happens?”

“Who do you think I am? I won’t cause any accident.”

“Sometimes you’re an idiot. I wouldn’t put it past you to cause one to attract Yixing’s attention.”

“Shout it out, won’t you?” Sehun grimaced, his voice low in a hiss.

Everyone was there, for fuck’s sake! What was Chanyeol thinking?

“No one’s listening. And the music’s loud, anyway,” Chanyeol muttered, though he still risked a glance at Yixing to make sure. “Just focus, alright? That’s all I’m asking for.”

Sehun nodded, seeing no point in even arguing about it. He knew Chanyeol was right—only about the _‘causing an accident if he didn’t focus’_ part. Not about doing it on purpose to attract Yixing’s attention. That was low. And he wasn’t an idiot. He would never do such a thing.

He didn’t _think_ he would.

He wanted to believe he wouldn’t.

He stepped on the board, securing one foot to the bindings. He made sure it was adjusted and then, with the other foot, slid forward. Now that he was standing right at the gate of his lane, he bent down and arranged his other foot. He was now fully standing on his board, ready to jump.

Part of the route was visible from there. Blue lines were traced on the snow, marking out the snowboarding area so they could identify what was ahead of them. They had around 200 meters of free area, followed by two jumps. Then a curve to the left that got lost behind those tall pine trees at the side. Sehun raised his eyebrows. On the cable car, the trees hadn’t seemed to be _that_ close to the starting point. He wondered what they would find in there. Was it dangerous? He guessed he was about to discover it.

A couple of minutes passed and the staff gave them the signal to prepare. Some MC was talking on a microphone, giving the audience a brief explanation of who was who.

It was when this MC person introduced him— _”Standing at the center left lane, wearing the green bib, we have Oh Sehun. Korean, 25, currently owning the second spot with a 47.81 seconds qualification time.”_ —that it finally sank in that this was happening.

The adrenaline rush was pumping heavy through his veins, his pulse loud in his ears. His professional side made its stellar appearance at last. His mind went blank, only paying attention to the staff who was about to give them green light. They made the trainers and any other person around leave the area.

Chanyeol gave Sehun’s arm a light squeeze. “Good luck and please don’t do anything stupid.”

Sehun rolled his eyes. “I won’t. Now go.”

Chanyeol left not before throwing him a big smile and Sehun couldn’t help but smile at his retreating back. He really didn’t know what he would do without him. _Bless him,_ he was an amazing best friend.

He adjusted his neck gaiter. Pushed his goggles down, making sure they covered his eyes. Then, someone behind him gave them the first call.

_“Riders, ready!”_

Sehun flexed his knees, placed his hips in line with the board. He straightened his back and shook his arms before holding onto the sides where the gates would open. There was where he would gain momentum from.

_“Attention!”_

He fixed his eyes on the snow ahead. He breathed in deep, let it out slowly, and then—

_“Go!”_

The gates opened and Sehun shot himself out into the snow.

He bent his knees again to absorb the impact, and as soon as the board hit the snow, he went back to his original position. The snow was soft and fine under the board. He slightly leaned back, keeping his back straight, just so he could raise the nose of the board a tiny bit not to get it stuck.

Yixing did the same in front of him. He had landed a meter or so ahead of him and was leading the way— _of course he was._ Sehun would try to catch up with him in the first jump, then pass him in the second one. He caught a glimpse of blue to his left not so far behind him, meaning Junmyeon had landed close. He couldn’t see Yuta, though.

As he approached the first jump, he bent both legs, his knees almost 90 degrees. As he rode up the ramp, he immediately extended them to give himself upward momentum. Then bended them again before he landed. He touched the ground at the same time as Yixing and excitement filled his chest. Now that they were riding side to side, he couldn’t let him take the lead again.

The second jump was a few meters ahead, so he repeated his previous position to go through it. He passed it and his momentum was powerful enough that he did manage to land before Yixing. Now he was leading, Yixing riding behind him.

The pine trees were close now, the blue lines on the ground turning to the left. Sehun opened his stance, aiming to change edges to the outer side of the slope. His movement felt smooth. For a moment he thought he would manage to keep leading. But Yixing took the inner side of the slope, decreasing the distance he had to cover. By the time Sehun was out of the turn, Yixing was already riding straight down again, recovering the lead.

Sehun leaned on his front foot so he could gain speed. He opened his stance once again to change lanes and avoid colliding with Yixing. The blue lines pointed out another jump coming next, so he had to focus on that first. It was higher than the previous ones and he couldn't see past it. He leaned forward again, increasing his momentum not to get stuck in the middle of the ramp.

He was in the air in no time, succeeding in getting through the jump without a problem. The landing, though, wasn't as smooth as he would've liked. The snow was finer and powdery there, so the board skidded and Sehun staggered. His muscles tightened instinctively. He extended his arms to regain his balance and it was a miracle he didn't fall. He kept moving forward, his eyes more alert than before—and there it was what he couldn’t see back at the cable car. The dreaded no fall zone.

He kept moving forward at a considerable speed, so everything looked quite blurry. Though as far as he could see, this part of the route was almost untouched. There were a few marks that were most likely left behind by the girls’ boards, but other than that, the snow was intact. White and soft, bright as it could be. The pine trees around it only added to the beauty surrounding them.

It was a sight, really, but as lovely as it was, it was probably the most dangerous part of the route. Snow was unpredictable, and so were the obstacles buried underneath it. Bare spots, ricks, cliffs, trees, or any other kind of object covered in snow were always abundant. The chances for any of them falling were higher now. Not only because of such a powdery snow. Also because many of those obstacles weren’t visible from an uphill position. Some of them remained hidden until it was too late for them to avoid them. This led riders to be more careful than ever—were they to fall, it could bring them grave consequences. Many had injured themselves to such an extent of no being able to go back to snowboarding. They had to make sure not to fall.

Since the area was difficult to cross, there were no jumps nor turns strategically placed. There was only a white, long extension of snow in front of them, marked by its respective blue lines. Sehun could keep on riding down without doing many changes of lanes, stances, or positions, and he felt slightly relieved. As experienced as one might be, risking your luck was never something desirable.

He kept focused, trying to catch anything that could cause a possible accident. From time to time, his eyes drifted toward Yixing—at his back, more specifically. Yixing was still ahead of him—monitoring his every movement. He told himself that it was for mere strategic purposes. To keep an eye of him so he could catch an open door to overtake him and lead the heat.

And it wasn’t a full lie.

He _did want_ to pass him, but staying behind Yixing for the time being, felt like the correct thing to do. As ridiculous as it sounded. It wasn’t ideal for obvious reasons, but not passing him meant Yixing would never leave his field of vision. It _meant_ he could check on him; make sure he was alright and _on_ his board all the time. If he were leading, then he wouldn’t be able to see whether Yixing fell or if something went wrong. The idea of Yixing falling off his board in this ugly area twisted his guts, so he wanted to stay behind him until they were out of the no fall zone.

Since when had he started to think like _this?_ Had he thought like _this_ before? Had it always been like this?

For some reason, Sehun wasn’t surprised to realize that his answer was yes, _yes, he had thought like this before._ He just hadn’t wanted to acknowledge it—like everything else he thought about and felt for Yixing.

What a development his character was—

His board skidded again, bringing him back.

Bringing _his brain_ back.

_Jesus, Sehun. Fucking focus._

He blinked fast, trying to regain his concentration. What the hell was he doing? Certainly not what he had to. This wasn’t the time to think about his feelings. Chanyeol was going to kill him— _better not to tell him about this, then,_ his brain provided.

Right.

As soon as he was back on track, he noticed the trees had disappeared. _Fucking finally._ A turn to the right was now not so far away and he was approaching it fast. He changed lanes again, aiming to take the inner one this time. He didn’t overtake Yixing, but he did succeed in saving some meters of distance.

Once he passed the turn, he leaned to the front, aiming to increase his speed once again. He was sure there couldn’t be much distance left before they reached the finish line. Now that they were out of the no fall zone, he could afford leaving Yixing behind—he _had_ to leave Yixing behind. He managed to catch up with him and was now riding beside him. Yixing noticed and immediately mimicked Sehun's stance, speeding up. Thus, both slid down interchanging the lead. Every time Sehun's board managed to position itself forward, Yixing did the same and passed him, and vice versa. It was annoying, though not less exciting.

The music reaching Sehun’s ears only fueled the adrenaline. It could only mean the finish line was indeed close. In the distance he noticed a jump; it had to be the last one. Sehun analyzed it, calculating what it would take him to get through it. It was bigger than the two jumps at the start, but definitely way smaller than the previous to the no fall zone. Not that complicated, then.

He retook his jumping stance, bending his knees. Next to him, Yixing did the same. In a blink of an eye they were both flying again, snow thrown around when the boards hit the ground.

Sehun never stopped looking ahead, so he immediately saw the red line drawn on the snow, marking the end of the route. They were close, so, so close, and yet they were still next to each other. He leaned again, pushing himself forward. He wanted to gain as much speed as he could so his board reached the final mark first. His heart was thumping in his ears. He got tunnel vision over the finish line. He took in a deep breath, contracted his muscles, and then… he was on the other side.

The final line was finally behind him.

Applying pressure over the board, he came to a stop. Yixing did the same next to him. A second later, Junmyeon and Yuta arrived, as well.

A gloved fist appeared in his field of vision, and he turned to the side to find Yixing extending his arm toward him. Sehun bumped his fist with Yixing, as a sign of healthy competition among them. Then he did the same with Yuta and with Junmyeon.

He pushed his goggles up his helmet and squinted when the brightness of the snow hit him. He was breathing hard, his muscles tense. That had been _a ride._ _Fuck,_ what the hell had that been? He had come across hundreds and hundreds of routes before, but he couldn’t remember experiencing one like this one. One in which more than half of it was full of no fall zones.

He had done all that he could to get through it _and_ to get there first, but if his calculations weren’t mistaken, he and Yixing had crossed the line almost at the same time. The committee had to be revising to check who had done it first.

Crouching down, he got his feet out of the bindings and stepped out the board. He looked around and noticed they were back at the base of the mountain, though this was another area, different than the one where the tents were. A fence marked out the snowboarding area and after it was a small hut. People were around, most of them staff crew, while the others were reporters, cameramen, and commentators.

The staff directed them out toward the hut. Inside, some TVs were around, showing different areas of the route. Staff used them to check their development, to make sure nobody cheated, and to be alert in case somebody suffered an accident. There was a board at the back of the hut with the thirty-two names written on it to write the points each one got per heat. As of now, the only ones with something next to the name were the girls.

He scanned the faces of the people inside, only to come across a very smiling Chanyeol.

“That was good,” Chanyeol said, pulling him in for a hug. He took the snowboard away from Sehun, placing it next to him with one side on the floor. “I saw most of it through the TVs. You did a great job. Took you about two minutes to get down here. That was fast.”

Sehun raised his eyebrows. It had definitely not felt like that. It had been an eternity.

“They’re revising the recordings,” Chanyeol continued and handed him a thermos. “They should be telling us your scores any time now.”

Sehun nodded and gave the thermos a long gulp. He focused on the warmth of the tea going down his throat so he wouldn’t get anxious over the results.

A few moments later, a man wearing the staff’s uniform entered the hut. He wrote their points on the board—Yixing: 4; Sehun: 3; Yuta: 2; Junmyeon: 1.

Three points. _Three._

So he had arrived second.

Dammit.

“It’s alright. It’s not bad,” Chanyeol said, nodding and giving him a pat on the shoulder. “You still have three heats left. You’ll get back on track.”

The way points were assigned was quite simple. The higher your rank in the heat was, the more points you got. By the end of the heats, all your points were added up. The eight riders with the highest scores advanced to the semifinals.

Sehun wasn’t pressured. It wasn’t that he was overconfident, but he trusted his skills enough to get him through the rest of the heats. Now he knew the whole ride. He could identify any possible outcome depending on where he landed. He would make sure to stay alert and get himself out of that route alive and in first place.

He vowed to it not to happen in any other way.

True to his word, on the remaining rounds, he didn’t give in. He was ruthless, merciless. Fast and coordinated. In control of his board, his body, his emotions. He didn’t let anyone ride close to him by less than a meter of distance, no matter how hard the other tried. By the time the four rounds were done, he was second on the board with 15 points, only standing behind Yixing by a point—Yixing had been first on his fours heats, thus getting 16 out of 16 points.

The semifinals, then, were divided in two heats. Yixing, Yuta, Jongdae, and Chittaphon in the first one; Sehun, Junmyeon, Lu Han, and Jongin in the second one. Among them, the four best would compete in the big final; the rest would compete in the small final.

Back at the hut, he waited for the first heat to start and develop. He could only know what was going on out there thanks to the cheers. They were loud when Yixing and the other guys stepped out into the starting area. Then decreased in volume when they disappeared down the mountain. Not long after, the staff called the second group to prepare, and that was his cue to get back to business.

He didn’t know what the results had been, but he was sure that Yixing had made it to the big final.

Now what was left was for him to do the same.

At the starting point, he prepared himself, received a prep talk from Chanyeol, and let his mind go blank. Once the _Go!_ was shouted out, he did the exact thing as in the previous heats. He jumped, and slid, and let the snow guide him down the mountain. He rode with Junmyeon hot on his heels, and Lu Han and Jongin not so far behind. For a moment he thought that it would be a close ending. But at the last moment, he managed to take advantage and reached the finish line first—getting him an automatic pass to the big final.

Names were written on the board. Riders were distributed into the two finals. Jongdae, Jongin, Lu Han, and Chittaphon would compete for the fifth to the eight places in the small final. Sehun would dispute the first place against Yixing, Junmyeon, and Yuta.

This latter line-up, while not exactly unexpected, still raised surprise among everyone present. It was weird to have the same riders from the very first heat competing in the big final, too. Many dared to say that they should’ve just jumped right into the big final instead of performing all those heats. Should’ve saved themselves the effort.

Sehun found it amusing. It was somewhat true, but that was how snowboarding worked. You couldn’t decipher what the outcome would be and that was what made it so exciting.

Back at the hut, Chanyeol made it clear that he wanted him _focused_ hundred percent. One hundred one percent. One thousand one percent. No thoughts about anything or anyone were allowed. So he shoved his headphones to Sehun and forced him to put them on, with the music as loud as he could tolerate it.

Sehun complied, no questions asked. Song after song, he sat there, head against the wall of his booth and eyes closed, waiting for his turn to come once again. His stomach felt funny, but that wasn’t nervousness. It was excitement, anticipation, maybe a bit of overwhelm. He had no idea what would happen, but he was sure that he would put his everything into it.

When the moment finally came, he shoved Chanyeol his headphones back and bent down to check the laces of his boots. He arranged his beanie, his neck gaiter. He put on his helmet, his bib. Chanyeol took the board from where it was waiting on the table, along with the goggles.

They gathered at the entrance of the hut, chose lanes, and walked out. The cheers went mad as soon as they stepped there. This exact moment was why people gathered to watch snowboarding competitions—the big final was ahead, for the best rider to claim their spot as the number one.

Paying attention to what people were shouting and chanting, Sehun could quite identify a mix of names. His and Yixing's were the most evident ones. He couldn’t help smiling. Hearing his name cheered along Yixing’s felt familiar. He liked it. He really, really did—not that he had ever allowed himself to admit it, though.

He found himself realizing he would miss it.

As if on cue, a lump settled on his stomach. The memories from the other night invaded his mind. Yixing’s words about considering retiring more present than ever.

He frowned at this. He had forgotten that part of their whole drunk talk. What a specific moment to remember it.

 _Yixing was going to retire._ Probably. Most likely. Well, he hadn’t decided _yet,_ but the idea was well planted in his mind. It hit Sehun then and there that, if Yixing decided to go with it, this would be Yixing’s last competition—and their last competition _together._

Now Sehun felt sick.

He shouldn’t be thinking about this.

He didn’t want to be thinking about this.

He had to focus. Focus. Focus. _Focus._ How many times had he heard and thought about that word throughout the day? A lot. Though there was no way for him to take Yixing out of his mind. He was always there, bugging his thoughts as he pleased, the idiot.

“What am I gonna do with you.”

Sehun blinked fast, focusing on Chanyeol’s face—on Chanyeol’s frown. “What?”

“Why are you distracted _this time?_ Should I be concerned?”

“No,” Sehun said. Chanyeol’s frown deepened. “Really, you shouldn’t. I’m just… thinking.”

“This is no moment to be just thinking.”

“Right.” Sehun nodded. “I _was_ thinking. Past tense.”

Chanyeol narrowed his eyes. “Please tell me you’re not planning to do something stupid.”

Sehun groaned and rolled his eyes. “Not this again.”

“Yes this again,” Chanyeol said. “Because a lot of stupid things happen when you don’t get your priorities straight.”

“My priorities are exactly how they should be.”

Sehun snatched his goggles from Chanyeol’s hand. He pushed them down his face, letting them hang around his neck. Chanyeol placed the snowboard on the ground and Sehun stepped on it, securing his feet.

“Are you alright?” Chanyeol asked after a while.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” Sehun said, ignoring the still very present churning in his stomach. “Excited is more like it.”

“You’ll be fine. We trained hard. You’re ready.”

The staff started to call everyone out to clear the area.

“Bring that trophy home,” Chanyeol said, giving him one last pat on the arm, and walked away.

Sehun waited for him to disappear, then slid his board to step in front of his gate. Next to him, the red outline of a body moved.

Yixing was crouching down, securing his feet over his board. His movements were calm, in control. For anyone, he would look composed, like someone who didn’t have any worry in his life. But Sehun caught a frown right between Yixing’s eyebrows. It was small, almost unnoticeable, but it was _there._ He knew better—Yixing was anything but calm, in control, and composed. He was thinking, _hard,_ and whatever those thoughts were, they were bothering him.

He wanted to ask him if he was okay, but he wasn't sure if Yixing would like that. He didn't even know if he was allowed to.

As he wondered this, he found himself blurting out, “Do you remember what you told me the other night?”

Well, _shit._

His voice was unexpected, so Yixing startled. He looked up, confused.

“About your retirement,” Sehun said, not seeing the point in not being direct. He had to act fast, lest Yixing decided to ignore him again.

That, however, was the wrong thing to do. Yixing immediately stood up, muttering under his breath, “Shut the hell up! Are you out of your mind?!”

Yeah, he was… What was new?

“Have you already decided?” Sehun asked, instead.

Yixing frowned, making his smelling poop-face. Some sort of pride filled Sehun’s chest. At least he had pulled a reaction out of him. That was progress. Kinda.

“This is _not_ the moment, Oh,” Yixing said, his voice sounding like a hiss.

“I just want to know if this is our last ride together.”

Yixing gaped at him for a moment, taken aback. He blinked, then frowned again and looked away, shaking his head in disapproval. “You're unbelievable.”

Sehun opened his mouth, aiming to get the response he craved for, but a voice prevented his words from coming out.

_“Riders, ready!”_

They both jumped, not expecting the interruption.

Yixing sighed and turned away, pushing his goggles down his face. “Good luck,” he said.

Sehun stared at him, frustration bubbling in the pit of his stomach. He shook his head and unwillingly turned away, too. He arranged his goggles over his eyes, making sure they were secured.

_“Attention!”_

He bent his knees, taking his starting stance. Deep breath in, long breath out, and—

_“Go!”_

The gates opened and he flew out.

His starting movements weren’t as smooth as he would’ve liked them to. They felt rather sluggish. He was tense, his muscles were contracted and his limbs felt stiff. So when he landed, he did so on the third position, right behind Yixing and Junmyeon.

The first jump was a few meters ahead. He leaned to the front to speed up. He bent his knees to get through it, straightened them in the air, and bent them again before landing. This time he did land right, managing to catch up with Junmyeon right before the second jump. They both made the same movements to cross it, but Sehun’s momentum was better. Thus he landed before Junmyeon, one or two meters ahead.

Taking the second place boosted his confidence, letting him get back on track. Now his main objective was to catch up with Yixing, who was still several meters ahead.

The turn was coming next, so he moved to the inner side of the slope. He leaned forward again, sped up and decreased the distance between Yixing and him. The huge jump was in front of them now, then the no fall zone would welcome them.

By the time Yixing was going up, Sehun had already reached the base. He rode up bending his knees, then extended them at the top, giving himself momentum. He retook his initial stance in the air, and when he landed, he was finally right behind Yixing.

Yixing turned his head to his side to get a glimpse of what or who had landed behind him. It lasted a couple of seconds, then he was facing to the front again. He leaned forward to try and recover the distance between them.

Sehun didn’t let him.

He imitated Yixing’s movements, not even once allowing him to get too far. He did it trying not to be too aggressive. The powdery snow was making him stagger and he didn't want to fall. It was until the third time it happened that he realized his muscles were still contracted, the soreness of it finally making itself present. He tried to calm himself to let his body relax and stop the sluggishness of his movements.

Thing was, he couldn’t calm down.

He had started the heat with his mind somewhere else. He knew he should’ve focused; that the only thing in his mind should’ve been the competition and nothing else. But not knowing if this was Yixing’s last competition was a real concern of his. He should've let it slip to think about it later, when the moment allowed him. But he hadn't, so now he couldn't stop thinking about how he would never snowboard with Yixing again.

This felt like a slap on the face.

Did this _mean_ that they would never see each other again?

That couldn’t be it, could it?

_Was that it?_

Like, he _knew_ that Yixing wouldn’t _literally_ disappear. And even if he did, this wasn’t the 5th Century. Technology existed, social media existed, _private investigators existed._ He could find Yixing if he wanted. But chances for them to be in the same place as often as they did now would thin to the minimum, if any. So he _knew_ that if they didn’t clear their issues now, they would never get around them. They would never do it. Though how could they do it if Yixing refused to talk to him?

He was an idiot—Yixing, he meant. Yixing was an infuriating idiot.

Sehun wanted to reach him and push him. Throw him off his board and force him _to speak._

Everything it would take would be to extend his arm and hold Yixing’s own arm to stop him. They would fall, obviously, but he could embrace Yixing and work as a yield to prevent him from suffering some sort of serious injury. He would try to protect him, at least. It would be something idiotic to do, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and that sounded quite _just right._

He would be disqualified for this competition and would be sanctioned by the FSI, though. He had never resorted to any kind of offense against the rules, so he had no idea exactly what his punishment would be. But it could be a problem for future Sehun—and for Chanyeol, too.

_Chanyeol…_

If the fall didn’t kill him, Chanyeol would do it for sure. He could already hear him—” _Oh fucking Sehun, you’re an idiot! I told you not to do something stupid! I can’t believe you! I'm too young to deal with this shit!”_

Now, as for Yixing, if _Chanyeol_ didn’t kill him, Yixing certainly would. With his bare hands. Without hesitating. Without mercy.

That sounded like a lot of trouble.

Was he seriously considering this? Was he going to do it? Would he _dare_ to do it? It was risky, but he was desperate and—

His board skidded again and Sehun felt himself losing his balance. His mind was way too distracted for him to react fast. He tried to fix his stance, but it was late. Last thing he knew, he hit the ground with a heavy thud—dragging Yixing down with him in the process.

Oh, shit.

Oh, fuck _._

_Oh, fucking stupid shit._

They were falling side to side. Sehun held a fist of Yixing's clothes on instinct and didn't let go. He didn’t know if it was the correct thing to do or not—nothing about this could be the correct thing to do—but he didn't want Yixing to slip too far away from him. With his free hand, he grasped the floor. He tried to hold onto something, anything, that would stop them from sliding down the mountain like a huge snowball, but his attempts were futile. The inevitable had already happened and they would have to wait until fate let them stop.

He heard a scream, some groans and cracks, curse words here and there. He wasn't sure if they were coming out his mouth or Yixing's. Probably both. The sound of tumbling, and fumbling, and slipping was the background music. Something hit his arm, something else his leg. Something gouged into his rib, something else slammed into his cheek. At some point Yixing slipped from his grasp. He felt a sharp pain around his eye, right where his goggles were.

_Fucking hell._

This chain of pain continued for God knew how long. Sehun tumbled, and tumbled, and tumbled, and tumbled, until he crashed into a hard surface, most likely a pine tree, stopping the fall altogether. As if it hadn’t been enough, a bunch of snow fell over him, burying him.

His chest heaved fast and his face was throbbing. He was scared of moving. He didn’t want to find out how bad the consequences of the fall were. _Please don’t let anything be broken._

Groaning, he attempted to sit up. He attempted to move his limbs and his torso to check on any possible fracture. Nothing felt extremely painful, so he had probably—thankfully—not broken anything. He removed his goggles as carefully as he could, and as soon as they were out, a bunch of snow hit him on the face.

He blinked, looking to where it had come from.

Yixing was a couple of meters away from him, down on all fours, glaring at him.

“What the hell is your problem?!” Yixing screamed, throwing another missile. “What the fuck, Sehun!” And another one. _“What!”_ And another. _“The!”_ And another. _“Fuck!”_ And another.

Sehun raised his arm, trying to cover his face from Yixing’s angry shots.

“You’re insane!” Yixing continued, trying to throw at him as much snow as he could. “We could’ve died!”

How could he even explain himself? _'Hey, so. I couldn't catch my balance because I was thinking about you instead of the competition. In consequence, I fell and took you down with me. Now I've ruined your last competition. Sorry, man.'_ Of course that wasn't it… There was no way to explain… _this._ Not in a coherent way, that is.

 _“A lot of stupid things happen when you don’t get your priorities straight,”_ Chanyeol’s voice echoed in his head.

As if he needed the reminder.

“I slipped,” he said, not having anything better to offer. “It wasn't on purpose.”

Yixing groaned and muttered something about _being a fucking damn idiot._ Moving slowly, he tried to turn around so as not to be still on all fours. He struggled, but once he managed to place his butt on the snowy ground, he removed his helmet and placed it on the ground.

Sehun winced when he saw that Yixing's board had split in half. Looking down at his own, he felt relieved when he saw it was still in one piece. Though the edges were scraped and the tail was missing a large chunk—better the board than a leg, he supposed.

His eyes moved back to check up on Yixing. He was glaring at his parted board, his gloved hands doing all their best to free his feet from the bindings. He didn’t look in pain and he didn’t have any visible wounds—at least not any that Sehun could see from this far. That was a relief. Still, he had and wanted to ask to make sure.

“Are you okay?”

Yixing turned his glare from the board to him. _“No.”_

The alarm went off inside Sehun’s head. “Are you hurt?”

 _“No,”_ Yixing snapped, though he still shook in his place from side to side. He could move. Nothing broken, then. “No, I don’t think so,” he said, his tone slightly calmer. “You?”

“I’m fine.”

The glare came back to Yixing. “Not for so long, because I’m going to kill you!” He threw away one of the halves of his board. It crashed with a tree. “Why weren't you focusing? What were you thinking?! I know you were distracted and that's why you fell.”

Sehun shrugged and began to undo the bindings on his board. He refused to acknowledge his crimes here.

“What does that mean?” Yixing asked.

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“Yeah, I don’t.” Sehun was now free. He put his board aside and slowly stood up. A sharp pain went through his side. He hissed, but still pretended it wasn't there. _Priorities._ “I suppose I was… I wanted to talk to you.”

“You’re kidding me.”

Guessing by the disbelief in Yixing’s voice, that had sounded stupid, but it wasn’t like Sehun had any other answer. It was the truth. In some twisted kind of way.

“I’m not,” he said, standing straight now. He took off his helmet and threw it next to his board.

“And _this"_ —Yixing waved his hand between them—”was your plan? To fall so you could talk to me?”

“I didn’t have a plan,” Sehun admitted. He touched his cheekbone, right down where his face was throbbing. He hissed again.

Yixing scoffed. “Typical.”

This made Sehun’s annoyance resurface. He stopped patting his face, turning to glare at Yixing. “Stop that!” he exclaimed. “I’m so fucking done with your patronizing bullshit!”

“Oh, no! No! You don’t get to be mad at me!” Yixing retorted, standing up and kicking the remains of his board. “After this shit, you have no right to get mad at me. The only mad here should and will be me.”

 _“You?”_ Sehun said, frowning. “Mind explaining why?”

“You know damn well why.”

“And there's where you're wrong because I know shit.”

“What a surprise!”

“Jesus Christ, Yixing!” Sehun threw his hands in the air, balling them into fists. “Why do you have to make everything so complicated? We can never have a decent conversation because you don’t know how not to be difficult!”

“We’ve never had decent conversations! We’re not missing anything here! So why do you care?”

“You know that’s not true.” Sehun narrowed his eyes at him, feeling his face contorting into an ugly grimace. “We had _one_ decent conversation two nights ago.”

Yixing laughed, though the sound was bitter and sarcastic. “You’re not seriously counting _that_ as a conversation.”

“I am, because it _was_ a conversation, whether you like it or not.”

“Right. Let’s suppose it was. Now what? What should we do with that information?”

“I think we should talk about it, yeah?”

“Oh, so now you _are_ thinking.” Yixing shook his head, that stupid smile still not getting away. “Pretty convenient, isn't it?”

For the sake of his sanity, Sehun closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and ignored Yixing’s attempts to start a fight. They wouldn’t go anywhere if he followed that stupid game.

“Listen,” he said, opening his eyes. Yixing was glaring at him. “We left many things unfinished that day and we need to talk about it.”

“We have nothing to talk about.”

“Stop being stubborn. You know we do.”

“I’m not being stubborn,” Yixing said, making a face. “What could we possibly talk about? You made it very clear that you didn't want to talk.”

This time, it was Sehun the one who made a face. “What do you mean?”

“Stop playing dumb. You know what I mean.”

“I don’t! How am I supposed to if you refuse to tell me what I did wrong?!”

Yixing stared at him, eyes narrowed and eyebrows furrowed. “Do you seriously go around doing shit without realizing when you fuck up?”

_“Just tell me.”_

“C’mon, it’s not that hard to guess!” Yixing exclaimed, exasperated. “You got us wasted and made me open my fucking heart to you—not that you forced me, mind you. I did it because _I wanted to._ But after my feelings were out in the air, you found it funny to kiss me and then send me to sleep. You made it look as if you wanted to pretend it hadn't happened. So really, it was more than obvious that you didn’t want to talk about it; not even to tell me it had been a mistake.”

Sehun stared at him, feeling a lump forming in his throat. He shook his head fast, not believing his ears. “I didn’t— It wasn’t— _That’s not what happened!”_

“Oh, wasn’t it?” The bitter smile was back on Yixing’s lips. “Sorry, my bad! Pray tell, then, what the hell happened if that wasn’t it? Because I can’t see it any other way.”

“That night was full of discoveries for me,” Sehun said. “Everything I had known for years wasn’t what I had thought. I was _confused._ You can't blame me for that.”

“I can understand that!” Yixing exclaimed. “Trust me, I can and I _do._ But if you were so confused, then why did you kiss me? Shouldn't you, I don't know, maybe clear your head first and then act?”

“I wasn't thinking! I did it because I wanted to, for fuck’s sake!” Sehun exclaimed, his patience already thrown away. “Because apparently I had wanted to for years, but I hadn't realized it. Or more like I hadn't allowed myself to acknowledge it.”

Yixing stiffened at this, his eyes going wide and his voice coming out almost as a whisper. “What?”

“It should’ve come as a surprise, but it didn’t,” Sehun continued, not finding it in him to stop. “Wanting to kiss you, and touch you, and have you close wasn’t something new for me, but I had never let myself think about it. Like, _really_ think about it. Because you hated me and there was no way for me to change that, even if I tried.”

He stared at Yixing, not being able to look anywhere else.

In front of him was the same guy who had straddled his lap and had let him kiss him. Looking confused, wary, uncertain, yet still so pure, wearing his heart on his sleeve. The same guy whose favorite color was purple, and didn’t have a favorite bubble tea flavor because he didn’t drink it that often. The same guy who snowboarded like a god, but was insecure about not being able to put up with the new generations. The same guy who was scared of driving long distances, had no idea how to use a GPS, slept with his mouth slightly open, loved to listen to Chopin, and played the piano when things got overwhelming. The same guy whom he wanted to reach, and hold close, and never let go.

He was an idiot for not realizing it sooner. He should’ve expected it, even; like something that had always been bound to happen. Falling in love with Yixing was like falling straight into a no fall zone. If you weren't careful, you would fall, even if that wasn’t your intention—even if you didn’t want to. And once it happened, you would keep on falling, and falling, and falling, and falling, not being able to do anything but welcome it and hope you'll survive it.

That was exactly what had happened to Sehun without even noticing. Though now that he _had noticed,_ he wanted to do something about it.

“That night I was trying to be your friend,” he said, his voice going calm again. He moved forward, giving tentative steps toward Yixing. “But I think I had always wanted to be more than just your friend. You’re annoying, an asshole at times, and the most patronizing man I’ve ever met. But along the years I’ve learned that you can also be kind, generous, loving, and caring when you want, and that’s a side of you I want to know.”

Yixing opened his mouth, but nothing came out. His eyes were still wide, as those of a deer caught in the lights. Though they didn't show fear. Sehun could only see in them something new. Something he had never seen in them before, but made his heart flutter. He saw _hope,_ and God, he would do anything to assure him that his words weren’t empty.

“We've got many things to work on,” he said. He was now standing in front of Yixing and it took him a lot of effort not to reach out and bring him to his arms. “And it won’t be easy, because _we are not easy._ We will fight. A lot. But we'll have to learn how to work as a team. How to trust each other. Maybe reduce the insults to a twenty percent—”

“Seventy percent,” Yixing said, and Sehun suppressed his smile. They were moving in the right direction, then.

“Forty.”

“Fifty.”

“We can negotiate the details later,” Sehun said, and the corners of Yixing’s mouth went up a bit. “But right now, what I can assure you is that I’m willing to try to make this work, only if you want it, too.”

Yixing stared at him, searching into his eyes something. An answer to all those questions he didn't dare to ask out loud. Time seemed to move slower, and for a moment Sehun thought he wouldn't get an answer himself. Then Yixing reached his face.

“You really whacked yourself hard here,” he said, his finger touching Sehun's cheekbone, right where the throbbing hadn’t stopped. “It’ll bruise. Does it hurt too much?”

Sehun shook his head. “Not yet.”

Slowly, Yixing caressed the area, trying not to press the skin. Sehun leaned into the touch and his eyes fell shut.

Yixing stilled his hand, and with a voice almost as low as a whisper, he said, “I have a question.”

Sehun opened his eyes and held his breath.

“You like someone,” Yixing said. It was a statement.

Sehun frowned. Hadn't he made that clear? Maybe he… hadn't? He nodded again.

“Is it me?”

_Déjà vu…_

Sehun snorted, feeling his lips break into a smile. Yixing was an idiot.

“Yes,” he said.

Yixing didn’t lose any other second. He moved his hand to the back of Sehun’s head and pulled him down, finally closing the gap between them. As soon as their lips touched, Sehun placed his hands on Yixing’s waist and held him tight against him.

This kiss was better than their very first, and the following even more. Because while the first had been special for everything it implied, it had been full of uncertainty of whether it was right or not. These ones were the opposite. They were full of intent. Conveyed what they were feeling and what they wanted to say but couldn’t express with words. They weren't desperate, either. They took their time to get used to it—to the feeling of their lips touching and their tongues sliding together. To the knowledge that they were kissing each other's enemy. To the fact that, as it seemed now, they weren't enemies anymore.

 _Enemies._ What a stupid word.

Each kiss warmed Sehun inside out. His heart was bumping hard against his chest and he was sure that Yixing was able to feel it against his own chest. Now that he knew what he wanted, what _Yixing_ wanted, there was nothing that would stop him from fighting for this. The missing puzzle piece was back to where it belonged, where it had always meant to be.

Eventually, the lack of air made them part. Sehun rested his forehead against Yixing’s, his eyes still closed. He wanted to stay in this moment for as long as he could.

“Sehun,” Yixing mumbled, completely out of breath and _wow_ , Sehun thought. He had done _that._

“Yeah?” he whispered. He was as out of breath as Yixing and it was so fucking amazing.

“I hate you.”

The laugh that came out of Sehun’s throat was glorious. He couldn’t believe this was going to be his life from now on—fuck, he _hoped_ this would be his life from now on.

“I hate you, too,” he said, putting his arms around Yixing’s shoulders and pulling him toward him.

“This doesn't change anything.” Yixing buried his face in the crook of Sehun’s neck, wrapping his arms around his waist. “I kind of want to kiss you, but I still can’t stand you.”

“And I wasn’t hoping for anything else.”

This time Yixing laughed, and _seriously,_ was this Sehun’s life now? Standing in the middle of a damn mountain, with a competition completely forgotten. A couple of bruises and scratches along his body. Zhang Yixing laughing in his arms… Jesus Christ, if this was _truly_ his life now, he was loving every single moment of it.

In the distance, he heard noise of people shouting and moving around. He didn't have enough time to register what it was before someone threw an insult at them.

_“You, fucking pair of idiots!”_

There, running down the mountain and looking furious, were Chanyeol and Yifan. Right behind them, paramedics, FIS staff, reporters, cameramen, and security guards were rushing down, as well.

Took them long enough to get to them, didn’t it?

“Did you have the intention of keeping us low-profile?” Yixing asked, straightening his head to have a better look at them. “Because if that was the case, then I don’t think it’ll be possible.”

Sehun wasn’t sure what he was exactly referring to, but then he noticed one man among the group. He was running as fast as he could, wearing a long brown coat. He had seen that coat before and _goddammit,_ fucking Byun Baekhyun was the last person Sehun wanted here.

“Am I a bad person if I want him to fall and roll down the mountain?” Yixing asked, his voice sounding way too serious.

Sehun couldn’t help but snort. He brought his lips to Yixing’s head and placed a kiss on his side. He then let go of him, unwillingly, so they could prepare to face what was coming next.

What that was, he didn’t know—and he kind of didn’t want to.

They would have the paramedics fussing over them, making sure they were fine. Chanyeol and Yifan would talk their ears off for being so careless and they would never hear the end of it. They would probably inform them who had won—Sehun low key hoped it was Junmyeon. Also if they would be subject to investigation to find out if they had fallen on purpose or it had been all an accident. The press would be on them, trying to get a quick interview or some exclusive material before anyone else. And Baekhyun… Fucking Baekhyun, would most likely sneak every single guard in the area to get to them and pester them, just as he always did.

Over all, they were about to face a damn mess, and he wondered for a brief moment if they would be able to get out of it alive. Though as he felt Yixing’s hand slipping into his own and holding him tight, Sehun came to his last conclusion of the day—they would definitely be alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. Guys. It’s done. Finally. And Idk how to feel about it. I spent more than a year with these two dumb boys and now I don’t wanna let them go. Everything comes to an end, tho, and this is it for them and me, but I had a lot of fun creating this little world for them and I’m actually quite proud about how it all turned out, so. Yeah. :’)
> 
> Anyway, I know it did take me longer than I had intended. Some of you left a comment asking whether I was okay, some others sent me a DM on Twitter asking, as well. Sorry if I worried you!! Things got a little bit messy and you know, sometimes you gotta deal with real life. But really, I’m doing great and I hope you’re all doing well, too! ♥(:
> 
> To those who left comments, thank you. To those who left kudos, thank you. To those who read, even if you didn’t leave a comment or a kudo, thank you. Thank you for sticking around!! It was a long ride, but I hope the wait was worth it. Also, about my laptop, it was a lost cause. I had to get another one and it was just tragic. Idk, save your docs and get many backups. Don’t be like me!!!
> 
> Again, shout out to the [EXO Seasonal Fest](https://twitter.com/ExoSeasonalFest) mods for being truly wonderful! They do an amazing job handling the fest and it was great being part of the fest—even if I couldn’t make this fic get into the official list. I saw they’re about to start their 5th round, so go check it out once it does. I’m sure it won’t disappoint you!
> 
> Idk what else to say, so I’ll stop here. If you feel like hitting me up or something, go talk to me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/xingminator). Promise I’m kinda fun sometimes akjskajs as always, take care of yourselves and have an amazing day/night! Hope to see you around in another fic soon! ♥


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